Resource Books to Assist in Writing a Thesis or Dissertation

 

The following books were obtained for the TAD website project based on an initial review of available texts. Dr. Phil Hubbard, a Consulting Researcher on the project, has reviewed these books and offers a brief summary of their content, and a breakdown of topics with relevant page numbers from the books.

We hope visitors to this website will find some of these books useful for their thesis/dissertation writing. If you read any of these books, we would very much appreciate your feedback about them and about what you found especially useful about them. This may help us continue building useful advice for postgraduate students and supervisors to include on this website.

Advice for Postgraduate Students

Billingham, Jo. (2002). One Step Ahead: Editing and Revising Text. Oxford: Oxford University Press.  
A book on editing guidelines, strategies, and techniques for both academic and non-academic purposes. Not specific to theses, but contains some useful general advice on how to edit your own work (and others’) effectively. 

Cheshire, Barbara. (1993). The Best Dissertation…A Finished Dissertation (or Thesis). Portland, OR: National Textbook.  Prescriptive advice trying to talk directly to PhD students; oriented to the US system.

Grix, Jonathan. (2001). Demystifying Graduate Research: From MA to PhD. Edgbaston, Birmingham: Birmingham University Press.  Excellent description of parts in a research proposal. Some limited discussion of thesis structure and the writing process.

Murray, Rowena. How to Write a Thesis. Buckingham: Open University Press.  Focused exclusively on practical problems that relate to thesis writing. Includes both the elements and the process, and allows for differences in individual composing styles (freewriter vs. structurer).  

Phillips, Estelle & Pugh, Derek. (2000). How to Get a PhD: A Handbook for Students and Their Supervisors: 3rd Edition. Buckingham: Open University Press.  Based on a framework of background theory, focal theory, and data theory. Encourages writing throughout the research process and emphasizes importance of rewriting. Like Murray, it acknowledges different composing styles (serialists vs. holists). Includes information on responsibilities of the supervisor.

Thomas, R. Murray & Brubaker, Dale. (2001). Avoiding Thesis and Dissertation Pitfalls: 61 Cases of Problems and Solutions. London: Bergin & Garvey.  The format is original (61 fictitious dialogues between students and professors), with valuable information offered. Strong on understanding and reacting to reader needs. Four example dissertation proposals in the appendices.

Williams, Joseph. (2003). Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace. New York: Longman.  An abridged version of a longer text useful for all writers. Chapters are built around 10 principles for writing clearly with a sub-theme of 10 principles for writing coherently (in Ch. 5). Emphasizes the principles are guidelines rather than hard & fast rules. The expanded version (Style: 10 Lessons in Clarity and Grace, 7th Edition) has additional examples and exercises.

 

Content/Advice (from preceding books)

B = Billingham           PP = Phillips & Pugh

C = Cheshire               TB = Thomas & Brubaker

G = Grix                      W = Williams

M = Murray

I. Early writing/research

·       Do notetaking on the run, wherever and whenever you get an idea.  TB – 94

·       Keep literature review ongoing, not only at one stage of the research process.

      G – 54-55

·       Description of research and writing process.  G – 88

·       Narrow focus to a specific area early.  G – 15

·       Keep a research journal.  M – 177

·       Prepare related papers (for publication) early.  M – 133

·       Write regularly while researching.  PP – 73

II. Focus on the reader

·       Serve the readers’ needs.  TB – 151-153

·       Orient the reader.  TB – 154-158

·       Audiences: primary, secondary (examiner), immediate (advisor).  M – 68-70

·       After writing a preliminary draft, make a transition from writer-based to reader-based thinking.  M – 123

·       Understand readers and their purposes.  B – 16-25

III. Proposal writing

·       4 sample proposals.  TB – Appendices A-D

·       10 parts of a thesis proposal.  G – 52-53

IV. Organizing/outlining

·       Help with outlining.  M – 99

·       Prompts for outlining the thesis.  M – 214-215

V. Introduction and literature review

·       How to introduce the research problem.  TB – 158-162

·       Define the gap your research fills.  M – 113

·       How to write a literature review.  M – 107-108

·       Understand your background theory and demonstrate this understanding through the literature review  PP – 59

·       Always keep your focal theory in mind (what you’re researching and why) 

      PP – 60

VI. Voice

·       How and why to write objectively.  TB – 164-167

·       Limit “I think, I feel, etc.” structures.  TB – 168

·       Make the main characters subjects of your sentences. W – 27

·       How to choose active vs. passive voice.  W – 47-49

·       Use of 1st person is acceptable.  W –52

·       Style and voice.  C – 56-57

VII. Plagiarism

·       General advice on plagiarism.  TB – 170-172; G – 120-121

·       Questions about plagiarism.  M – 115

VIII. Thesis structure and content

·       6-part structure.  G – 16

·       5-part structure.  C – 55; M – 116-117

·       Discourse structure.  B – 43-45

·       Importance of structure.  G – 114

·       Writing the Recommendation section.  TB – 162-164

·       Thesis should have a “thesis”.  PP – 42

·       Describe data theory.  PP – 61

·       Clarify contribution.  PP – 61-62

·       Demonstrate originality.  PP – 63-64

IX. Writer types

·       Freewriter vs. structurer.  M – 83

·       Serialists vs. holists.  PP – 67

X. Writing process – general

·       Define key terms.  TB – 167

·       Outline next steps (what you want to do next time you write) when ending a writing session.  TB – 168

·       Don’t feel forced to write linearly.  TB – 169

·       Keep reference resources (texts, notes, data) handy.  TB –169

·       Effective writing strategies.  G – 113

·       4 discrete phases of writing.  C – 13

·       Serial writing.  M – 150

·       Arguments against “binge writing” (i.e., writing large amounts of text in a few long sessions)  M – 160-161

·       How to handle writer’s block.  M – 163

·       Importance of recognizing need/time to achieve closure.  M – 173-174

·       Fast track writing.  M – 207

·       1-minute writing (to begin chapters).  M – 213

·       Write easiest parts first.  PP – 71

XI. Revising/proofing

·       Maintain precision in vocabulary.  TB – 167

·       Keep paragraphs unified.  TB – 168

·       Send no early drafts to committee or advisor – always revise and proof.  C – 36

·       Check forecasting, signaling, and signposting in revisions.  M – 196-198

·       Checklist for polishing your writing.  M – 243

·       Importance of rewriting.  PP – 67

·       Style guide.  B – 26

·       Editing process flowchart.  B – 33

·       Content editing flowchart.  B – 39

·       Paper vs. screen editing.  B – 47

·       Checking linguistic flow.  B – 48-53

·       Proofreading techniques (e.g., back to front).  B – 69

·       Use technology appropriately.  B – 96-98

·       Consider style only in rewriting.  W – 5

·       Balance correctness with clarity.  W – 24

·       Distinguish “real” rules from folklore and optional rules.  W – 10-18

·       10 principles for clarity.  W – front inside cover

·       10 principles for coherence.  W – back inside cover

XII. Other

·       Create an appropriate title.  TB – 153-154

·       Form a writer’s group.  M – 140

·       Various writing tips. PP – 68-72

 

Advice for Supervisors and Other Mentors

 

Coffin et al. (2003).  Teaching Academic Writing: A Toolkit for Higher Education. London: Routledge.

Though oriented predominantly toward lecturers in content areas dealing with students coming from outside their field, some of the advice is adaptable to the thesis supervisor role. E.g., Ch. 3, “Writing for Different Disciplines”:

·         Tips to students (example) – 51

·         Use of models – 51

·         Understanding and using discipline-specific vocabulary and registers – 54

·         Focus on text structure (example) – 60

·         Figure 3.8: less endorsingΰmore endorsing terms toward reported content. – 66

·         Responsibility to provide scaffolding and guidance for writing – 71

 

Phillips, Estelle & Pugh, Derek. (2000). How to Get a PhD: A Handbook for Students and Their Supervisors: 3rd Edition. Buckingham: Open University Press.

As noted previously, presents information on responsibilities of the supervisor. For writing this includes:

·       Students expect supervisors to read their work well in advance – 164

·       Students expect supervisors to be constructively critical – 167

 

Your Input

We would be very interested in your input about any of these books, and this could be helpful to others as well. Please email us, and let us know if we can use your remarks on the website. If so, please give your name, country of origin, the University where you are studying, and your field of study.