Writing the winning thesis or dissertation, a step by step guide. Slides have been prepared from the book of the same name authored by Randy L. Joyner, William A. Rouse and Allan A. Glatthorn.

1. Writing theWinningThesis or
Dissertation
Ashlesha Lokhande
Iqtidar ul Hassan

2. Ch. 1 Laying the Groundwork for the
Thesis and Dissertation
• In 1997, D’Andrea reported that lack of structure in the dissertation
process may be the key element in the failure of many students to
complete their program.
• In 2012, it still is one of the leading obstacles in students
completing their program.
• Winning a dissertation begins with establishing a solid foundation.

3. Understanding the Special Nature of
the Dissertation
• Purpose of Dissertation
– Institutional Purpose
• To ensure the degree holder has made a contribution to the field of as
well as uphold an honored academic tradition
– Personal Purpose
• To earn a degree
• A way of learning about yourself
• Personal and professional growth
– Communication Purpose
• You write to report the research
• Not to persuade, entertain, or express personal feelings

4. The Audience for the Dissertation
You have several audiences:
• Yourself (you must be satisfied with what you write)
• Your Committee
• The faculty as a whole (institutional standards must
be met)
• Other members of the profession

5. Analyze the Special Characteristics of
the Dissertation
• The dissertation is a report of research intended primarily
for a scholarly audience.
• It is an objective, documented, and detailed report of your
research.
• Dissertations are long (between 125-250 pages).
• Dissertations look scholarly (based on previous research).
• Dissertations sound scholarly.

6. Analyze the Special Characteristics of
the Dissertation.. Continued
• Dissertations are organized in a special way
– Review of the Literature
– Methodology
– Results
– Summary and Discussions
• Dissertations are organized in a special way
• Dissertations tend to follow very specific rules about matters
of style.

7. Ethical Choices
• Conduct Ethical Research based on:
– Equity
– Honesty
– Humane Consideration
• Secure Informed Consent

8. Acknowledgement and Reporting
Results
• Acknowledge AllThose Who Have Contributed or Collaborated.
Never claim credit for work that is not yours, and always give full credit
to those who have helped you.
• Report results honestly and objectively.
• Even negative results are important and add to existing
knowledge.

9. Securing the Needed Resources
AnalyzeYour Needs
• Do you have the time needed to complete a winning dissertation?
• Do you have the hardware resources ? (Computer, data storage, and a laser
printer)
• Do you have the money for-
– Tuition and Fees
– Consulting Fees
– Hardware, Software, and Other Equipment
– Paper and Other Supplies
– Ebooks, Journals, and Monographs
– Telephone, Fax, and Postage
– Copying
– Travel
• Search for Special Support? (graduate Assistantships orGrants)

10. Roles and Responsibilities of the
Committee
• Responsibilities of theCommittee include:
– Giving you the direction and assistance you need
to complete the dissertation.
– Ensuring that the dissertation makes a significant
contribution to professional knowledge.
– Be available to you

11. Preventing Problems with the
Committee
• Choose a committee whose members are compatible with each other
and you.
• At every stage in your work with the committee, clarify the nature of the
committee’s relationships with each other and with you.
• Determine the specific ground rules by which the committee expects you
to operate.
Communication with your committee is the key to a winning dissertation.

12. Dealing with Committee Problems
• When committee members do not give feedback promptly
– Follow the two week timeline
• Committee members conflicting advice
– Let the chair handle it
• Committee members give unhelpful advice
– Ask for specifics, or let the chair handle it
• Relationships critically deteriorate
– Ask for the face-to-face meeting, handle it in a professional manner.

13. Solving Personal Problems with the
Dissertation
• Some estimates indicate that only 40% of total students even
finish their doctoral degree.
• Problems can be during three phases:
– Problems near the end of the coursework
– Problems at the end of the coursework
– Problems after the proposal
– Problems after the Defense

14. Problems Near the End of the Coursework
• Change of plans
• Change in careers which does not require a doctorate
• Values and priorities change
• The decide family, job, personal enjoyment is more
important
• Money
• Lack of knowledge and insecurities
• Fear of dissertation

15. Problems At the End of the Coursework
• The army of the ABD’s- All But the Dissertation
• Other than the factors listed in the problems near
the end of the coursework, the other factors include
emotional and psychological ones.

16. Problems After the Proposal
• I’m tired
• The data gathering is not going well
• I keep finding references in the literature I want to cite
• I will be the last in my cohort to finish
• I now feel I chose the wrong topic
• I have writer’s block
• I am worried sick about the defense

17. ProblemAfter the Defense
“Postpartum depression”
• No increase in respect
• Trauma of job hunting
• You are no longer the center of attention in the household
• It really wasn’t worth it after all

18. Ch. 2- Dealing with Institutional
Requirements
• Take the time to understand the institution’s requirements for your
research.
• Styles:
– Traditional five chapter model:
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: Review of the Literature
• Chapter 3: Methodology
• Chapter 4: Results
• Chapter 5: Conclusions, Implications, Recommendations, and Summary
– Non traditional four chapter model

19. Specific University Guidelines or
Requirements
• These requirements can be found in the graduate handbook.
• Formatting
– APA
– MLA
– CMA
• Submission-
– There are two formal submissions:The proposal defense and the
formal defense

20. Institutional Review Board (IRB)
• The purpose of the IRB training and approval process is to inform
researchers of best practices in research methods related to the
protection and welfare of the participants and the researchers.
• IRB approval process is required at the beginning and the
conclusion of the study.
• Once the study is completed, the principal investigator has to send
a “closure form” to IRB within 6 months.

21. Institutional Review Board (IRB)
• Complete IRB training modules
• Once you complete the training modules with a
minimum of 80% score, you receive a certificate of
completion.
• You have to take IRB refresher training every three
years. (You have to keep track of the timeline)

22. Degree CompletionTimelines
• Each institution has a completion time limit.
• Usually it is 6-10 years.
• Depending on the circumstances, you can request an
extension.

23. Ch. 3- Finding the Research Problem
• ResearchTopic- A general area of study
• Research Problem- A more narrowly defined issue that
represents only one aspect of the research topic
• Problem Statement-The carefully worded research issue
as it appears in the dissertation. (It is narrower than a
research problem)

24. ResearchTopic
• Research topic should be based on:
– Professional Significance
– Continuing Professional Interest
– Personal Interest
– Career Advancement
– Professional Knowledge, Experience and Skills
– Likely Support
– Time Required
– Accessibility

25. Broad Scan of Literature
• Keep a research journal
• Develop a good filing system
• Secure an approved manual style
• Hold on to useful sources
• Get full bibliographic information
• Begin your search record

26. Broad Scan of Literature
• Read to Inquire
– At this stage, your chief purpose in retrieving and reading
sources is to help you make a final decision about the topic and
frame the research question.
• Concentrate on research Reviews
– A research review is a scholarly article on a topic that reviews
the major research studies about that topic to give readers a
broad picture of what is known.

27. ResearchTopic and Purpose
• Fix on the research topic and research
problem.
• Get help from University librarians

29. Conducting a Focused Review of
the Literature
• It will help in developing a PROSPECTUS & a
PROPOSAL

30. • Reorganize files (organize by the division of the
research problem)
• Retrieve all related abstracts
– ERIC

31. • Evaluate the results
– Check the author
– Check the title
– Check the date
– Note the source
– Check the document type
– Read the abstract
– Code each source as “must-have”, “maybe”, and “no”
• Check for prior dessertations

32. • Use primary sources
• Develop an annotated bibliography
– Explain search and retrieval process
– Bibliographical information
– Summary and evaluation of source (Page 70)
• TechnologyTechnique
– RefWork

33. Making a Preliminary Choice of
Methodology
Research Perspectives, ResearchTypes and Research methods
• Perspectives
– Quantitative
– Qualitative
– Mixed Method
• Quantitative primary, qualitative first
• Quantitative primary, quantitative first
• Qualitative primary, quantitative first
• Qualitative primary, qualitative first
– Project Based Studies

34. • ResearchTypes
– Studies Primarily Quantitative in Nature
• Experimental research
• Quasi- experimental research
• Causal comparative research
• Correlational research
• Descriptive research
• Evaluation research

35. – Studies Primarily Qualitative in Nature
• Case Study research
• Ethnographic research
• Action research

36. • Research Methods
– Tests and measurements
– Interviews
– Observations
– Surveys
– Documents (Page 79)

37. • TechnologyTechniques
– SPSS
– NVivo

38. Organizing and SchedulingYour
Work
• Develop a Planning Chart and MakeTentative Entries
– Administration
– CourseWork
– Literature Review
– Writing
– Research
Thesis/Dissertation Preparation Guide - Electronic Method

39. Developing Prospectus and
Organizing the Committee
The Prospectus provides a primary and tentative view of your
research problem and the methodology
• Prospectus Development
– Research topic and research problem
– Methodology
– Preliminary calendar of completion (Page 91)
• TechnologyTechniques
– Skype
– Zoom us