Writing the Winning Thesis or Dissertation: A Step-By-Step Guide

The classic guide for master's and doctoral students--newly revised and updated! Used in its first two editions by tens of thousands of students, this practical book demystifies the process of writing your master's thesis or doctoral dissertation, taking you through the process one step at a time. Newly revised and updated, this book provides specific models and examples that will guide you through: Laying the groundwork for the thesis or dissertation Organizing and scheduling your work Collaborating with peers Using technology Solving problems throughout the dissertation process

About the Author :
Randy L. Joyner is an adjunct professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Education, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. He is retired from the Department of Educational Leadership in the College of Education of East Carolina University, where he directed or served as committee member for 25 dissertations. Furthermore, he has served as a doctoral committee member at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia; and North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina. He has received several awards for his research: the Delta Pi Epsilon doctoral research award, the Omicron Tau Theta Iota Chapter Research Award, and the Delta Pi Epsilon Alpha Chapter Research Award. The results of his research have been published in numerous national and international journals. William A. Rouse Jr. is the Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Faculty Affairs in the College of Education, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC as well as an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership in the College of Education, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC. He was a public school teacher and a secondary school principal prior to joining the faculty at East Carolina University. He has worked with several school districts' administrators to refocus their efforts on effective school leadership practices that result in a dynamic teaching and learning environment. He has also worked with a school district to redesign large comprehensive high schools into smaller learning communities resulting in increased student academic performance. In 2004, he coauthored the Outstanding Paper delivered at the Delta Pi Epsilon National Research Conference; his research has been published in national refereed journals. Allan A. Glatthorn (1924-2007) was a major contributor to the third and fourth editions; his research used in the preparation of the first and second editions of Writing the Winning Thesis or Dissertation: A Step-by-Step Guide was the foundation for the third edition. He was the Distinguished Research Professor of Education (Emeritus) in the College of Education of East Carolina University, where he advised doctoral students, chaired dissertations, and taught courses in supervision and curriculum. He was formerly Professor of Education at the Graduate School of Education of the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to his university assignments, he was a high school teacher and principal. In his work as a professor, he chaired close to 100 dissertations. He is the author of numerous professional books, several of which have been published by Corwin.

Review :
"Few tasks are as potentially intimidating to graduate students as the process of constructing and completing a masters' thesis or doctoral dissertation. In this text, the authors have provided many practical tools and ideas for guiding this process to a successful conclusion. This newly updated edition of what has been a highly popular and useful text will be well received by scores of graduate students in the various fields of education and educational leadership."--James R. Machell, Dean, College of Education and Professional Studies "This book is a valuable tool for students and professors alike. It addresses the concerns students have, and reminds those of us guiding dissertations of the issues surrounding this challenging process.Writing a dissertation is a step-by-step activity. This is a guide that the doctoral candidate can read, and re-read as each step is accomplished, seeing both the details and the 'big picture'."--Theresa Eagle, Dean, Graduate School of Education and Professional Development "Successfully writing and defending a thesis/dissertation is often the impediment that keeps doctoral students from completing their programs. Writing the Winning Thesis or Dissertation is a great blueprint to avoid this pitfall. Every doctoral student should pick up a copy of this easy to follow guide. It is written in a very user-friendly format, answers numerous questions, and provides clear direction. Joyner, Rouse, and Glatthorn provide the graduate student a key to getting started, working through the process, and completing a winning thesis or dissertation. No graduate student should be without a copy on his or her shelf."--Dr. Henry A. Peel, Special Assistant to the President "The authors have provided an excellent start-to-finish how-to guide for completing a dissertation. It is practical, useful, and written in a way that is not threatening to students. This book 'brings it home' for the students. It is an important resource for any doctoral student!"--Sandy Hutchinson, EdD, Professor of Educational Leadership "It is a difficult quest to give students the needed resources to assist in writing a thesis or dissertation. Joyner, Rouse and Glatthorn address completing this journey in an organized and sequential process. I congratulate the authors in their thoughtful portrayal."--Ellen H. Reames, Program Coordinator "Writing the Winning Thesis or Dissertation, occupies a unique place in academic literature. The book is extremely readable and offers practical and useful advice for graduate students and doctoral candidates while also observing the highest standards of scholarship and the professoriate. I recommend the book to all my doctoral students and the feedback I receive is uniformly excellent. The process for writing a thesis or dissertation is broken down into easily understood components with clear directions for following the process from the beginning (selecting a chair) to the end (the final defense). I am proud to know Dr. Rouse as a colleague, and I am proud of his work on this book."--Dr. James O. McDowelle, Professor, Educational Leadership