Writing your doctoral dissertation - part 2 ppt

Preface

xiv

Schneider, 1998). For students to make an informed commitment to a

doctoral program, there is a need to know what’s expected: to prepare

themselves and their significant others for the time and emotional pressures

likely to develop; to participate more knowledgeably in the process; and to

take advantage of the wealth of opportunities available in this process.

Writing Your Dissertation makes explicit the invisible culture of

dissertation writing and thereby increases the likelihood of your success,

avoiding the possibility that you will drop out of your program never having

a clue about what was really expected. You will never be the same person

you were before your doctoral experience. I hope that by reading this book

you will find yourself much enriched by the process of completing your

doctoral program.

There are three major parts to this book which correspond to the several

stages involved in writing a dissertation. Initially you will need an overview,

offered in Part I, entitled “ Getting a sense of the terrain.” Part II is called “

Preparing for your study,” and Part III provides details for “ Doing your

study.” The appendixes contain resources, specifically a sample checklist for

documenting your progress; suggestions for reading on the dissertation, the

academic world, and research methodology; and a presentation of some of

my research findings from the study of the dissertation process.

Your experiences as a doctoral student will be memorable. I hope you will

have many happy memories. I encourage your comments and questions about

each section along with suggestions for improving this volume for future

doctoral students.