1st Edition
Writing Strategies for the Education Dissertation
1. De-mythologizing the Process: Changing One’s Mindset 2. The Problem Statement: Writing Processes 3. Writing Strategies for the Literature Review 4. Writing the Methods Chapter, Getting Past Preliminary Orals, and Getting Started 5. Collecting and Analyzing Data, then Writing up Results and Findings 6. Writing up the Discussion: Conclusions and Recommendations 7. Revising the Dissertation as a Whole
Biography
Diane Bennett Durkin has taught critical thinking and writing at UCLA for over 30 years, publishing textbooks that merge disciplines, and helping education doctoral students understand and use writing processes to generate, organize, and communicate their ideas.
"This exceedingly helpful book distills writing expert Diane Durkin's decades of experience into a warm and wise step-by-step guide through all phases of the dissertation process. You'll want this essential book on your desk from the first days of research to the refining of the conclusion of your study." -- Mike Rose, Professor, UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, USA"This book offers what most others cannot – solid advice based on many years in the trenches, helping literally hundreds of students as they go through the often painful, yet usually rewarding, process of writing a dissertation. It is full of ideas that are both concrete and immediately usable. I wouldn't skip a single paragraph. And I will recommend it to all of my own students." -- Jim Stigler, Professor of Psychology, UCLA, USA
"Writing Strategies for the Education Dissertation is not just about writing a dissertation, but covers many practical tips beyond the writing. Everything from strategically reading prior research to working with a dissertation chair is addressed in this extremely pragmatic approach. Doctoral students working on their own will use this text as a mentor, while faculty and dissertation advisors may use it to provide specificity to their own work with students" -- Cindy C. Kratzer, Ph.D., Continuing Lecturer, UCLA Education & Information Studies, USA
"This book fills a void in texts that guide graduate students in writing dissertations by emphasizing the thought processes that undergird the planning, drafting, and revising of text. By focusing on fundamentals of exposition rather than research design, the book can help students improve the clarity and impact of their thinking. The book also provides an excellent example of good writing." -- James Sampson, Professor Emeritus, Florida State University, USA
