Finding Dissertations & Theses

This book gives graduate students the tools they need to successfully plan, write, and defend their thesis or dissertation. Each chapter addresses a rite of passage common to most graduate programs: selecting a methodology, conducting a literature search, carrying out research, analyzing data, and preparing for a thesis defense. Combining years of supervisory experience with up-to-date research, Blair addresses issues important to graduate students that are often left out of these guides, including how to navigate the ethics review process and avoid problems related to academic integrity, such as plagiarism, how to select and prepare for a productive meeting with a supervisor, and how to establish an academic track record by presenting research at conferences and publishing in academic journals.

This all-inclusive, practical guide will help graduate students design, conduct, and finish an academic dissertation or thesis with minimal drama. The structure of the book follows the sequential flow of a dissertation process from choosing a smart study topic, selecting research design options, to presenting a successful oral defense. Filled with protocols, tips, and reminders, the book presents the best, most direct and timely research practices based upon theoretical and empirical evidence, as well as the perspective and experiences of the author and others who have survived writing their dissertations. This indispensible guide will help students: pick the best members to serve on his/her dissertation committee including pointers for managing the committee dynamics and feedback; understand the legal regulations and ethical guidelines for all parts of the research process; work through common barriers, such as procrastination, perfectionism, and writer s block, and more.

The dissertation is a tough mountain to climb; half of all doctoral students never make it to the top. To overcome the practical, emotional, and psychological obstacles along the way, you′ll need the right tools and a knowledgeable guide. This informative and inspirational book readies you for each step of the dissertation process, including choosing a topic, selecting the committee, getting acclimated to academic writing, preparing for your oral defense, and publishing your research. This second edition of The Dissertation Journey offers new and updated features, including: - A chapter on ethical considerations - Expanded coverage of digital data collection and using the Internet for research - More detailed information on conducting the literature review - A discussion of how to develop a theoretical or conceptual framework With graphics, checklists, inspirational quotes, illustrations, and sample forms, this valuable resource is your essential guidebook to preparing, writing, and defending your dissertation.

This handbook sets out the processes and products of ′digital′ research. It is a theoretical and practical guide on how to undertake and navigate advanced research in the arts, humanities and social sciences. Topics covered include: - how to make research more accessible - the use of search engines and other sources to determine the scope of work - research training for students - what will theses, dissertations and research reports look like in ten years′ time? - the storing and archiving of such research - ethics and methodologies in the field - intercultural issues The editors focus on advances in arts and practice-based doctorates, and their application in other fields and disciplines. The contributions chart new territory for universities, research project directors, supervisors and research students regarding the nature and format of Masters and doctoral work, as well as research projects.

Umberto Eco's wise and witty guide to researching and writing a thesis, published in English for the first time. By the time Umberto Eco published his best-selling novel The Name of the Rose, he was one of Italy's most celebrated intellectuals, a distinguished academic and the author of influential works on semiotics. Some years before that, in 1977, Eco published a little book for his students, How to Write a Thesis, in which he offered useful advice on all the steps involved in researching and writing a thesis -- from choosing a topic to organizing a work schedule to writing the final draft. Now in its twenty-third edition in Italy and translated into seventeen languages, How to Write a Thesis has become a classic. Remarkably, this is its first, long overdue publication in English. Eco's approach is anything but dry and academic. He not only offers practical advice but also considers larger questions about the value of the thesis-writing exercise. How to Write a Thesis is unlike any other writing manual. It reads like a novel. It is opinionated. It is frequently irreverent, sometimes polemical, and often hilarious. Eco advises students how to avoid "thesis neurosis" and he answers the important question "Must You Read Books?" He reminds students "You are not Proust" and "Write everything that comes into your head, but only in the first draft." Of course, there was no Internet in 1977, but Eco's index card research system offers important lessons about critical thinking and information curating for students of today who may be burdened by Big Data.