Writing the Winning Thesis or Dissertation: A Step-by-Step Guide [Paperback]

Allan A. Glatthorn (Editor), Randy L. Joyner (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 076193961X | ISBN-13: 978-0761939610 | Publication Date: March 16, 2005 | Edition: 2nd

This revision provides a step-by-step approach to making the thesis or dissertation process easier and more manageable.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"From soup to nuts, Glatthorn and Joyner have masterfully and coherently provided doctoral students, their chairs, and their committee members with a thorough, easy to read and follow guide to facilitate the complex process of writing a good dissertation." (Sandra Gupton, Chairperson of Division and Curriculum Instruction )

"This concise volume is the best place for a doctoral student to begin!" (Debbie Harris Rollins, Ed.D. )

" . . . filled with practical advice and concrete suggestions for the student embarking on the journey of writing the dissertation." (PsycCRITIQUES, November 2005 )

"Glatthorn and Joyner have written a very good guide, filled with practical advice and concrete suggestions for the student embarking on the journey of writing the dissertation." (PsycCRITIQUES, November 2, 2005 Vol. 50, No. 44, Article 8 )

About the Author

Randy L. Joyner is a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership in the College of Education, of East Carolina University. He teaches two of the four research courses required for the doctorate. His current research interest is the assessment of strategies for deliver­ ing doctoral instruction. He has received several awards for his research: the Delta Pi Epsilon doctoral research award; the Omicron Tau Theta Iota Chapter Research Award; and the Delta Pi Epsilon Alpha Chapter Research Award. The results of his research have been published in national and international journals.

Allan A. Glatthorn (deceased) was a Distinguished Research Professor of Education (Emeritus) at East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Corwin Press; 2nd edition (March 16, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076193961X
• ISBN-13: 978-0761939610
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,443 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not for Everyone..., February 16, 2007

By 

Wireless Mike - See all my reviews

This review is from: Writing the Winning Thesis or Dissertation: A Step-by-Step Guide (Paperback)

My problem with this book extends from the fact that it advertises itself as a general book about writing a thesis. From its description the authors of the book would have you believe that this book is for everyone in any field. In actuality, this book has an extreme bias towards the social sciences and humanities, most notably education research. If you are in one of these fields this book is an excellent resource for you, and I recommend it to you. However, if you are in a science or engineering field, like myself, than this book will be of no help to you. I bought this book to help me with my thesis believing that it was a general reference. I received this impression after reading both its description and table of contents on Amazon. When I actually got the book, I realized its extreme bias very early on but kept reading attempting to extract useful information from it. The more I read, the more I was disappointed. It details things such as "problem statements," "research participants," "research methodology," "ERIC: Education Resources Information Center," etc. and omits any information relevant to a thesis in the sciences or engineering. When reading the book I finally came across a section on detailing your research instruments. This confused me greatly as when I read it instantly thought of the measurement equipment I used in my lab when I read the phrase research instruments. I went so far as to ask people I knew in the social sciences and found out that the author was referring to items such as surveys used to collect data from study participants in social science research. It was at this time I stopped reading the book because it was very clear to me that it had no application to my field and the book itself was a complete waste of my time and money.

I'd like to take this opportunity reiterate that my negative review stems from the fact that this book masquerades itself as a general reference guide. This is no doubt an act of dishonesty. From my perspective I have been lied to and cheated. I do highly recommend this book, however, if you are in one of the fields it is written for. If you are in the sciences or engineering like myself, than I highly recommend the book "Enjoy Writing Your Science Thesis or Dissertation!: A Step by Step Guide to Planning and Writing Dissertations and Theses for Undergraduate and Graduate Science Students" by Elizabeth Fisher and Daniel Holtom. I bought this book after giving up on the one detailed in this review, and have benefited greatly from the information it has conveyed.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not a good general guide for writing a thesis, July 29, 2007

By 

phoong dan "Correcting your misinformation" (International) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Writing the Winning Thesis or Dissertation: A Step-by-Step Guide (Paperback)

Regarding the other reviewer's review of this book, I AM in the social sciences field and yet I still feel that this is not a good reference for everyone. I concur that the book markets itself as a "general" guidebook, yet it spends a great deal of time detailing how to go about selecting your committe, which is rather irrelevant for me as my thesis advisor is selected by my university. I agree with the notion that the book is just too specific. It's probably a good resource for someone that is in the field of edcuation (I'm not...I'm in psychology)at a "traditional" university where you will be putting together a committee and choosing which professors you want to work with on educational research. If this doesn't apply to you, don't waste your time on this book.

The first few chapters there was some useful general information, so I give it 2 stars. However, from that point on I, like the other reviewer, stopped reading the text because it became apparent it was no longer relevant for my Master's thesis. Also, the book again markets itself as a guide for a thesis or dissertation, but there is a noticeable bias towards those in PhD programs writing a dissertation. The authors should retitle the book: "Writing the Winning Dissertation in Educational Research in a traditional university setting where you are able to select your thesis committe: A Step-by-Step Guide." This would be more accurate and honest!

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, easy-to-read and follow, December 18, 2007

By 

Angela Fitz-Gerald "Newby Cellphony" (Bay Area, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Writing the Winning Thesis or Dissertation: A Step-by-Step Guide (Paperback)

This book was recommended to me by one of my professors for my MBA thesis. It helps simplify the process of researching a project that seems overwhelming or complicated by providing clear, logical, easy to understand and follow steps. It provides examples that really help grasp the main sections in the thesis (literature review, methodology, results, discussion). It's a great tool to help organize and present the material in fine academic style. For me, it was the one and only book I used for my project, and it was definitely worth the investment!