Surviving Your Dissertation
A Comprehensive Guide to Content and Process
- Kjell Erik Rudestam - Fielding Graduate University, USA
- Rae R. Newton - Fielding Graduate University, USA
Perfect for graduate students as well as behavioural and social scientists who supervise and conduct research!
In the fully updated Fourth Edition of their best-selling guide, Surviving Your Dissertation, Rudestam and Newton answer questions concerning every stage of the dissertation process, including:
- selecting a suitable topic
- conducting a literature review
- developing a research question
- understanding the role of theory
- selecting an appropriate methodology and research design
- analysing data
- interpreting and presenting results.
In addition, this must-have guide covers topics that other dissertation guides often miss, such as the many types of quantitative and qualitative research models available, the principles of good scholarly writing, how to work with committees, how to meet IRB and ethical standards, and how to overcome task and emotional blocks.
With plenty of current examples, the new edition features an expanded discussion of online research, data collection and analysis, and the use of data archives, as well as expanded coverage of qualitative methods and added information on mixed methods.
“This text provides a broad coverage, focused approach for dissertation, balanced approach between quantitative and qualitative designs, and excellent examples.”
“I wish this text was available when I was working on my dissertation as it would have demystified the process greatly!”
“The title is wonderful and attention getting. It’s practical and consistent with the title in terms of compliance with requirements while seeking the path of least resistance toward completion of a quality product.”
“[S]traightforward, well-written, concise and not too cumbersome….gets to the root of what students need to know. I like the detailed explanations and examples for writing each section of the dissertation.…The text explains and gives examples of how to write the methodology and the results. I also think the student suggestions are very helpful.”
“The text is well organized.…It includes chapters on the presentation of both quantitative and qualitative results which are particularly welcome in PhD programs that value paradigmatic diversity and do not expect students to conform to the assumptions of a single paradigm such as positivism.”
Students like the style of the textbook -- I have used this book in the past and will continue to use it in my Dissertation course.
Excellent resource for new PhD students. The authors provide a wealth of information on the topics of importance to graduate students.
Useful practical information to complement more scholarly information about research.
A good development on the previous edition; enhancing a number of points/apsect well.
The book serves as a nice supplemental to the primary course text. The changes in the new edition offer valuable clarifications and examples.
This new edition has:
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Updated the information on: the selection of an appropriate research topic, the review of the literature, the description of the methodology and research design, the collection and analysis of data, and the interpretation, presentation, and discussion of the results and implications of the study.
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Replaced older references with newer, more contemporary ones, including many new dissertation examples.
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Added significant new content.
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Discussed that the traditional null hypothesis significance testing model is being challenged and augmented by an emphasis on clinical or practical significance with measures of effect size and confidence intervals. Have explained and illustrated this new approach to the presentation of statistical results.
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Acknowledged an emerging emphasis on theoretical "models" and the influence of model-building on the design and presentation of research. Provided several examples of studies that incorporate this approach.
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Expanded discussion of the Internet as a source of data, an opportunity for data collection, and a vehicle for data analysis, together with recommendations for potentially helpful websites and software programs that may be unfamiliar to the average reader.
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Acknowledged the parallel expansion of available data sources in all their varied forms, including data archives, social media, and what is currently known as "big data."
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Expanded the sections on qualitative and multimodal methods of research that have an inductive, theory-building focus.
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Explained and illustrated the concepts with new tables and figures, and, in many cases provided very specific details for how to incorporate them into a research study.
