A Practical Guide To Dissertation And Thesis Writing

Description

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. Dedications......Page 6 Table of Contents......Page 8 Foreword......Page 10 Preface......Page 11 Acknowledgements......Page 12 1 Getting started: Topics, problems, defmitions and making a good start......Page 14 2 How do you choose a research topic?......Page 37 3 Reading, reading, reading: Background to your literature review......Page 54 4 Let’s start with the big “so what?”: Writing your introduction......Page 66 5 Backing up your claims: Writing your literature review......Page 87 6 What is research methodology?......Page 105 7 Defending your proposal......Page 140 8 Getting the fieldwork done......Page 150 9 Sifting through the information: Your results or findings......Page 159 10 Your voice: Presenting your discussion......Page 174 11 The conclusion......Page 191 12 Writing the abstract......Page 199 References......Page 209 Index......Page 213