Surviving your dissertation : a comprehensive guide to content and process / Kjell Erik Rudestam and Rae R. Newton

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Part 1. Getting started -- 1. The research process -- 2. Selecting a suitable topic -- 3. Methods of inquiry: quantitative and qualitative approaches -- Part 2. Working with content: the dissertation chapters -- 4. Literature review and statement of the problem -- 5. The method chapter: describing your research plan -- 6. Presenting the results of quantitative research -- 7. Presenting the results of qualitative research -- 8. Discussion -- Part 3. Working with process: what you need to know to make the dissertation easier -- 9. Overcoming barriers: becoming an expert while controlling -- 10. Writing -- 11. How to complete your dissertation using online -- 12. Guidelines for the presentation of numbers in the dissertation -- 13. Informed consent and other ethical concerns.

In the fully updated fourth edition of their best-selling guide, Surviving Your Dissertation, Kjell Erik Rudestam and Rae R. 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, analyzing data, and 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.