Stalled on your thesis or dissertation? Here are some books that may help you get inspired to start writing again.
by Joan Bolker
This text focuses on helping readers/writers discover a personal writing process, rather than imposing a process on them. The author offers advice on beginning to write, choosing an advisor and dealing with problems that may come up with an advisor, free-writing and drafting, dealing with interruptions, "funky exercises for times when you're stuck," revising, and finishing the dissertation.
by Reva Brown
This text addresses research and writing as non-linear processes and focuses on creating order out of the chaos and uncertainty of researching. Main topics include choosing a topic, creating a research proposal, writing process, dealing with anxiety, organizing information, literature search and review. Especially applicable for students in business and management.
by Gordon Bitter Davis and Clyde Alvin Parker
The author's philosophy of the "systematic approach" is that preplanning and "structuring" different elements of the dissertation can improve performance and the final product while providing specific tasks that will help the student manage the project. Includes guidance for pre-dissertation development activities, topic selection, proposal, creating a time schedule and budget, completion, and publication. Includes selected references on research.
by Peter Elbow
A writing help book for all kinds of writers. Includes different writing exercises as "warm-ups" - practice for getting words down on paper. Chapters focus on drafting, revising, considering the audience, soliciting and using feedback
by Jacqueline Fitzpatrick, Jan Secrist, and Debra J. Wright
Written in an informal, humorous tone, this text offers many examples of doctoral students' dissertation experiences. Part I addresses issues of content and process (proposal, methodology, selecting committee members, collecting data) and Part II addresses "The Secrets to Maintaining Sanity and Good Humor" (support groups, staying organized, using technology, defending the dissertation, and avoiding sudden stops). The text will be most helpful for students in "soft sciences," but includes information for students in the "hard sciences" as well.
by G. David Garson
A general guide for students, this text addresses the various stages of writing a paper and includes exercises to help students start writing. Each chapter includes a bibliography. Includes instruction on both primary and secondary research and addresses writing fundamentals.
by Thomas J. Long, John J. Convey, and Adele R. Chwalek
Chapters focus on overcoming common obstacles to completion of a dissertation, defining and developing a topic, using library resources, selecting committee members, writing the proposal, organizing and rewriting, and preparing for the defense. The text provides a sample timeline for completing a dissertation and advice on using computers and other sources of research assistance. Includes a bibliography of other sources.
by Robert J. Nash
The author argues that the personal voice can and should be integrated into academic writing. Aimed particularly at education and human services students. Offers guidelines for writing personal narrative as well as examples from students and published writers.
by Kjell Erik Rudestam and Rae R. Newton
A general guide for students in all disciplines, this text focuses on guiding students through the dissertation process. Part I: Getting Started offers advice on the research process, selecting a topic, and choosing methods of inquiry; Part II: Working With Content deals with the different required parts of the dissertation (literature review, methods, etc.); Part III: Working With Process is focused on informing the student of what she or he needs to know to make the dissertation process easier.
by Gordon Rugg and Marian Petre
With an informal tone, this text provides help for the doctoral student who feels that she or he is wandering around the dissertation process with no clear purpose. Helps students to "translate" what dissertation supervisors say about "good referencing" and "clean research questions."
by Paul J. Silvia
This author acknowledges that writing is hard work and can be difficult to wedge into a frenetic academic schedule. Drawing examples from the field of psychology, the author shows readers how to overcome motivational roadblocks; he describes strategies for writing productively and gives detailed advice on how to write and revise, how to improve writing quality, and how to write and publish academic work.
by Lenore T. Szuchman and Barbara Thomlison
This text focuses on the academic style of writing used in social work. Chapters focus on ethics and writing, general writing techniques, writing each part of the academic paper (introduction, literature review, methods, results, discussion, and abstract), listing references, formatting, revising, and preparing a poster presentation. Appendices include samples of student writing.
by R. Murray Thomas and Dale L. Brubaker
This is a general guide for all disciplines, but is most suitable for students in social and behavioral sciences. The text is organized according to the stages of the research-and-writing process as defined by the authors: preparation, choosing a topic, collecting information, organizing information, interpreting results, and presenting the finished product.
by Bronwen T. Williams and Mary Brydon-Miller
A general writing guide that addresses the importance of writing well, includes writing exercises to help students get started, instructs the reader on how to use the library and other sources, and gives advice on how to complete a final project. The authors offer specific sources to read and consider for students in anthropology, psychology, social work and sociology.
by Eviatar Zerubavel
Written in an informal style, this book offers strategies on getting writing done, no matter how busy or how blocked the writer is. The solution that the author proposes is to make a writing schedule and then follow it (staying slightly flexible), writing outlines and drafts, and writing to deadlines.
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Last modified by: Merinda Hensley on 1/23/08