Destination Dissertation: A Traveler's Guide to a Done Dissertation - Softcover

Sonja Foss; William Waters

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0742554406 ISBN 13: 9780742554405

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2007

Synopsis

Dissertations aren't walls to scale or battles to fight; they are destinations along the path to a professional career. This friendly guide helps doctoral students develop and write their dissertations, using travel as a metaphor. This time-tested method comes from the authors' successful work at the Denver-based Scholars' Retreat. Following concrete and efficient steps for completing each part of the dissertation, it includes a wealth of examples from throughout the dissertation process, such as creating the dissertation proposal and coding data. Essential for all PhD candidates!

About this title

About the Author:

Sonja K. Foss is professor of communication at the University of Colorado at Denver. She created and is co-director of Scholars' Retreat, designed to provide intensive, focused, and supervised writing time for dissertations, theses, and other writing projects. William Waters is assistant professor of English, coordinator of composition, director of the writing center, and coordinator of assessment at Northwest Missouri State University. He is co-director of Scholars' Retreat.

Review:

The idea of organizing the book as if it were a travelogue presents an innovative perspective from which the dissertation can be managed. Symbolically, the concept of embarking on a trip (with maps!) connotes a kind of pleasantry, rather than the burdensome process of wandering to an imprecise, amorphous destination―the reality for so many doctoral students.... The tone of the book is didactic―but not stuffy in the least: the subject matter is reachable and reflects the expertise of travel guides who know the precise direction in which to lead their charges. (Marianne Di Pierro, Western Michigan University; director, Graduate Center for Research and Retention)

Regardless of discipline or research approach, Sonja Foss and William Waters have encountered all of the roadblocks and excuses related to completing the dissertation or any other scholarly writing project. Their straightforward methods, cleverly and uniquely packaged in this book, will provide a clear pathway to successfully finishing your work. Stop reading the other 'how-to' books for completing the dissertation. Follow Foss and Waters's guidelines and finish! (Brian L. Heisterkamp, California State University, San Bernardino)

Destination Dissertation offers a comprehensive, systematic, and well-tested approach for writing dissertations. Foss and Waters's focus on doability, efficiency, and production of original scholarship will appeal to graduate students at all levels, their advisors, and even faculty members working through their own publication processes. This book also offers unique insight into the process of conceptualizing a dissertation, working with advisors, and becoming a scholar-writer in post-dissertation writing. In short, this book should be required reading for all dissertating students and their advisors! (Stacey K. Sowards, University of Texas, El Paso)

To the rescue comes Sonja K. Foss and William Waters with their outstanding book, Destination Dissertation. This book is a must-have for anyone in graduate school, and for anyone who faces the prospect of writing a research paper or journal article with trepidation. In this book the authors succinctly and efficiently guide you through the entire dissertation process via a step-by-step, easy to follow format. . . . No matter what field you are in, or the type of research you are conducting, you can effectively use Destination Dissertation as a guide to writing your dissertation or thesis. . . . If you are facing the prospect of having to write a dissertation or thesis, get this book! (The Athenaeum)

Destination Dissertation presents an attempt to demystify the process of conducting, writing, and presenting original research, completing dissertations, and making the transition to journal articles. The travel metaphor is creative and one to which all of us, as scholars, can relate. The format is cohesive and the chapters flow according to the process of the dissertation format. The techniques suggested are ones that students in my methods classes have found extremely beneficial. (Monica M. White, Wayne State University)

About this edition

• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0742554406
• ISBN 13: 9780742554405
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 380