Dissertations and Theses From Start to Finish
For more than 25 years, this book has guided student writers through the practical, logistical, and emotional struggles that come with writing dissertations and theses.
It offers guidance to students through all the essential steps, including:
- defining topics
- selecting faculty advisors
- scheduling time to work on the project
- conducting, analyzing, writing, presenting, and publishing research
This fully-updated third edition includes guiding questions, checklists, diagrams, and sample research papers. It also reflects the most recent advances in online research and includes fully updated online resources.
Each chapter begins with an Advance Organizer that offers an at-a-glance summary of chapter content and applicability for different types of readers. Chapters also include significantly expanded “To Do” and “Supplemental Resource” lists, as well as helpful suggestions for dealing with impasses and common internal and external “traps” that recur throughout the writing process.
The authors also provide a thoughtful consideration of the variety of roles faculty advisors play, and of variations in the thesis and dissertation process and requirements across institutions of higher learning.
Foreword
Mitchell J. Prinstein
- What Are Theses and Dissertations, and Why Write a Book about Them?
- Starting Out: Assessing Your Preparation for the Task Ahead
- Time and Trouble Management
- Finding Topics and Faculty Collaborators
- Formulating and Communicating Your Plans: An Overview of the Proposal
- Reviewing the Literature
- Research Methodology and Ethics
- Measuring Study Variables
- Selecting the Appropriate Data Analysis Approaches
- Collecting, Managing, and Analyzing the Data
- Presenting the Results
- Discussing the Results
- Managing Committee Meetings: Proposal and Oral Defense
- Presenting Your Project to the World
References
Index
About the Authors
Debora J. Bell, PhD, is a professor of psychology and associate chair for clinical science at the University of Missouri–Columbia.
She received her doctorate in psychology from West Virginia University after completing a clinical internship at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She has been at the University of Missouri since receiving her degree and has served as the director of clinical training and director of the clinical doctoral program’s training clinic, the Psychological Services Clinic, for 20 years.
Dr. Bell has held several national leadership positions in graduate psychology education, including current roles as editor of Training and Education in Professional Psychology and chair of the Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology, and as commissioner and chair of APA’s Commission on Accreditation.
She is a fellow of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies and is author of numerous articles, book chapters, and a book in the areas of graduate education, girls’ adjustment, and youths’ internalizing problems, social information processing, and regulation of positive emotions.
Sharon L. Foster, PhD, is a Distinguished Professor Emerita at Alliant International University in San Diego, California.
She received her doctorate in psychology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook after completing a clinical internship at the University of Washington Medical School. She also taught at West Virginia University.
Dr. Foster has served as an associate editor for the journals Behavioral Assessment and the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, and she was a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences.
She is the author of four books and numerous articles and chapters on children’s peer relations, assessment and treatment of adolescent externalizing behavior problems, and research methodology.
John D. Cone, PhD, earned his BA in psychology from Stanford University and his master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Washington.
He has taught at the University of Puget Sound, West Virginia University, the University of Hawaii, United States International University, San Diego State University, and Alliant International University.
He is a fellow of both APA and the Association for Psychological Science, a member of the Association for Behavior Analysis, and a board certified behavior analyst.
His research interests include the development of idiographic assessment methodology; autism intervention; and the development, implementation, and evaluation of large-scale service delivery systems, especially those for persons with developmental disabilities.
An executive coach and frequent organizational consultant, Dr. Cone is the author of several books, including Evaluating Outcomes: Empirical Tools for Effective Practice (2001). When not being professionally active, he spends his time jogging, working on his 55’ yacht (Context), and cruising the waters of the blue Pacific.
Bell, Foster, and Cone draw from their many years of experience working with graduate students and input from their colleagues to offer this valuable resource to help students make the most of their graduate school experience. They provide sage advice on practical issues such as time management, basic skills such as writing and making oral presentations, and on more technical topics such as methodology and statistical analysis. Faculty interested in improving their mentoring will also find their advice helpful.
—Albert D. Farrell, PhD
Commonwealth Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond
What a rich resource! The authors strike just the right tone: clear, direct, and supportive. Students (and their advisors) will especially like the detailed checklists.
—Timothy A. Cavell, PhD
Professor of Psychology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, author of Working With Parents of Aggressive Children
