"Describes the quantitative research process--framing analytical questions, developing a comprehensive outline, providing a roadmap for the reader, and accessing indispensable computer and program tools. Supplies end-of-chapter checklists, extensive examples, and biobliographies."
• Designed for students who will be writing research proposals, reports, theses, and dissertations. • The 15 chapters cover 191 guidelines for effective scientific writing. The guidelines are fully illustrated with easy-to-follow examples. • The guidelines describe the types of information that should be included, how this information should be expressed, and where various types of information should be placed within a research report. • End-of-chapter questions help students master the writing process.
This book provides a step-by-step guide to writing the different chapters of a PhD dissertation, which will benefit aspiring, beginner and mid-track PhD students and candidates in the Social Sciences. Based on the authors’ combined experience of working with both Masters and PhD students through the dissertation writing process, it offers helpful writing guidelines, from the conceptualization and problematization of the dissertation through to the literature review, methodological issues, writing up results and, finally, to the discussion, conclusions and abstract writing process. With chapters dedicated to offering guidelines, suggestions and pitfalls to watch out for, this book will assist PhD students and candidates in the fields of the various Social Sciences with exercises and pointers on successfully navigating the writing of a PhD dissertation. It takes the PhD student in the Social Sciences through the maze of writing a dissertation, and provides a step-by-step train of thought throughout the entire writing process.
The quality of the academics who undertake the work of teaching and research is critical to the significance, status and relevance of our universities. There is widespread evidence that doctoral students are not being properly prepared for the changing face of higher education and that once they take up academic positions, they often experience many frustrations and tensions. This book, based on a four-year-long research program conducted by four academics and four graduate students, investigates the experiences of doctoral students, new academics and senior academics as they engage in their work related to doctoral education. Doctoral Education: Research-Based Strategies for Doctoral Students, Supervisors and Administrators offers research-based strategies for improving doctoral education in a non-technical and conversational way. Those strategies include learning to be a new supervisor alongside other academic work, developing an intellectual network during the doctoral journey, giving and receiving feedback on scholarly writing, and preparing for the oral defence. Also, based on research evidence, the book challenges taken-for-granted practices and policies surrounding doctoral education, including the gendered nature of disciplinary practices, the paradox of writing in doctoral education and the public oversight of more and more aspects of academic work. Intended for doctoral students, academics, staff and administrators, this book provides several perspectives on the topic of doctoral education and contains the actual voices of doctoral students and new academics to illustrate its discussion.
A doctoral dissertation is arguably the most important journey that students will embark upon in their professional careers, so smart travelers will want E. Alana James and Tracesea H. Slater’s Writing Your Doctoral Dissertation or Thesis Faster: A Proven Map to Success at their fingertips. James and Slater identify the key places and challenges that create extra stress during the dissertation process, and offer effective strategies and tools to address those challenges and ensure academic success. Their map walks readers through each step of the process, including: • determining the research topic, • choosing appropriate methods, • turning a hypothesis into a study, • completing a literature review, • writing and defending a proposal, • collecting and analyzing data, • writing up the study, and • ultimately defending the dissertation. Building on years of experience with doctoral students, the authors provide a comprehensive, yet easy-to-use tool that encourages student reflection; includes student stories, hints, and writing tips; and provides end-of-chapter checklists and ideas for incorporating social media. With the proven techniques and guidance of this indispensable book, doctoral students will finish their thesis or dissertation—faster!
This useful guide for students combines all the guidance, advice and key tips needed to write successful research reports, theses or dissertations, exploring, in detail, each of the elements involved in writing an academic paper. The book will guide you through all the key sections of a report including the introduction, literature review, method, results, discussion and more. Each chapter contains instructions and advice aimed at three different levels of report writing experience – ‘The basics’ covers the basic purpose and structure of each section as well as the most common mistakes, ‘Refinements’ helps you to develop your report writing skills beyond the basics, adding polish and depth, and ‘Advanced’ offers advice and insight into the most complex issues in report writing. In addition to the guidance, there are examples to show you the principles of report writing in action and exercises which allow you to test your understanding as you learn. An essential reference for any student writing an academic paper, A Student Guide to Writing Research Reports, Papers, Theses and Dissertations is the ideal resource to be used as part of your independent study or when working with a supervisor.
This publication helps graduate students in psychology and other related fields to plan the thesis and dissertation process from beginning to end. Clearly written, the authors successfully mentor students by advising them, answering their questions, and breaking down what may seem like an overwhelming and unsurmountable task into a series of concrete and manageable steps.
The archaeological study of the ancient world has become increasingly popular in recent years. A Research Guide to the Ancient World: Print and Electronic Sources, is a partially annotated bibliography. The study of the ancient world is usually, although not exclusively, considered a branch of the humanities, including archaeology, art history, languages, literature, philosophy, and related cultural disciplines which consider the ancient cultures of the Mediterranean world, and adjacent Egypt and southwestern Asia. Chronologically the ancient world would extend from the beginning of the Bronze Age of ancient Greece (ca. 1000 BCE) to the fall of the Western Roman Empire (ca. 500 CE). This book will close the traditional subject gap between the humanities (Classical World; Egyptology) and the social sciences (anthropological archaeology; Near East) in the study of the ancient world. This book is uniquely the only bibliographic resource available for such holistic coverage. The volume consists of 17 chapters and seven appendixes, arranged according to the traditional types of library research materials (bibliographies, dictionaries, atlases, etc.). The appendixes are mostly subject specific, including graduate programs in ancient studies, reports from significant archaeological sites, numismatics, and paleography and writing systems. These extensive author and subject indexes help facilitate ease of use.
The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project gives students the knowledge and skills they need to get from 'clueless' to 'completed'. This highly readable text guides the reader through each stage of their research project, from getting started to writing up, with each chapter clearly explaining a step along the way. Based on the author's hugely popular The Essential Guide to Doing Research, this new book retains the warmth, wit and grounded nature of the first, while providing tools to help students through the ins and outs of their own projects, and addressing the key questions students need to tackle, such as: - What is this thing called research and why do it? - How can I assure that my research project has integrity? - How to I develop a researchable question? - How do I construct a winning proposal? - What exactly is expected in a literature review? - What options are there in qualitative, quantitative, mixed and more purposive methodological designs? - Is it best to work with a sample, key informants, or a case? - What data collection options are there and how do I choose? - How should I work with my quantitative data? - What should I do with my qualitative data? - How in the world will I capture this on paper? This is an inspiring book full of down-to-earth advice, illuminating figures and diagrams and engaging real life examples. With this book as your personal mentor, a successfully completed research project is well within reach. Zina O'Leary is an applied social scientist and senior lecturer at the University of Western Sydney. She is the author of Researching Real-World Problems and The Social Science Jargon Buster.