Authoring a PhD: How to Plan, Draft, Write and Finish a Doctoral Thesis or Dissertation

by Patrick Dunleavy

Book Overview

This engaging and highly regarded book takes readers through the key stages of their PhD research journey, from the initial ideas through to successful completion and publication. It gives helpful guidance on forming research questions, organising ideas, pulling together a final draft, handling the viva and getting published. Each chapter contains a wealth of practical suggestions and tips for readers to try out and adapt to their own research...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1403905843
• ISBN13: 9781403905840
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Length: 312 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Excellent Description of the Phd and Academic Landscape

I am in the early stages of contemplating a Phd, and found this book a great place to start. The book covers a lot of territory, not only describing how to structure and write a Phd but also where a Phd fits within a broader academic landscape. The book discusses potential emotional and mental traps as well as giving clues on how to manage supervisors, advisers, publishers and examiners. The book describes the nuances of the different accreditation systems along the British US divide. On starting the book I was half expecting a self-help version to writing a Phd with lots of how-to dot point lists - LOL. This book is more of a discussion on the topic than series of dot points, and it needs to be because of the topic's complexity and diversity. One thing not covered in this book that would be useful is the mature-age Phd. Traditionally a Phd is the completion of an apprenticeship into academia. However for me, as for many that I know, a Phd is a consolidation, reflection, articulation and contextualisation of a life's professional experiences and professional development. It would have been useful to have a chapter or a theme address this type of Phd. This a good read, highly recommended for anybody contemplating a Phd and needing the words and concepts to get around and talk to people on this topic.

Invaluable!

I just defended successfully (yay!), after a serious revision, and this book was my guiding light. In all honesty I could have saved myself some serious time if I'd paid more attention to it sooner. It was particularly inspiring when I was first starting to get down on paper my first chapter... I think for anyone in that horrible phase where you have to much research and feel that you've lost your argument the book is an enormous blessing. It demonstrates how to structure a chapter, how to keep it readable, how to break down sections... It was truly my bible. It also lays out the differences between British and US models, which is interesting to know for future reference. Not a word that is merely psychobabble or self-help, but a straightforward and clear manual.

Excellent Guide

This book is an excellent guide for anyone in the process of writing a dissertation. Although he is writing from a British point of view, he takes care to make his advice applicable to the dissertation writer in the US university system as well. He discusses structure, drafting, editing, as well as how to prepare the diss for eventual publication. The main achievement of this book is the idea that the dissertation writer is taking on another role, moving from *student writer* to *writer*. The dissertation propels the student into the position of colleague in training, and the writing is the vehicle for doing that. For the first time, thanks to this book, I have begun to look at myself as a writer contributing to the body of knowledge on the subject, not just a student producing yet another required paper to please a professor.

My map through the maze of academic writing!

This book is an excellent guide to an under-addressed aspect of the PhD process: writing, structuring, and developing your thesis. The text fills a niche amongst all of the other `how to get your PhD' books out there, because it goes so far in depth into the authoring process. Beginning to write your thesis is a daunting thing, and there seems to be a presumption that PhD students will know how to go about the whole procedure. But of course the process is complicated, intimidating, and not always clear-but this books provides an invaluable road map. Indeed it even offers guidance for after the thesis is finished, when you want to move on to publishing. Suddenly the impossible and mysterious looks reasonable and understandable. The book is full of clear guidelines and advice, useful tips, and wit which makes it very readable too. The text is structured according to the methods being recommended, which makes it very easy to read--and that makes you appreciate the soundness of what you are learning! A book you will want to sit down and read cover-to-cover, and then keep on your shelf for regular referral back to throughout the entire PhD process!