Writing a Successful Thesis or Dissertation

Fred C. Lunenburg is Jimmy N. Merchant Professor of Education at Sam Houston State University. Previously, he was on the faculty of educational administration at the University of Louisville, Loyola University Chicago, and Southern Utah University, where he also served as Dean of the College of Education. In addition, he has held public school positions as a high school English teacher and reading specialist, high school assistant principal, high school principal, and superintendent of schools. Dr. Lunenburg’s scholarship includes 45 books, 15 book chapters, and over 200 articles published in both practitioner and academic/research journals. Beverly J. Irby, Ed.D. is Associate Professor of Educational Leadership in the Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling at Sam Houston State University. She has also served as Director of Field Experiences, Supervisor of Mentor Services, Liaison for Sam Houston State University’s Urban Professional Development Site, and as a Title VII Grants Coordinator at an urban elementary school. She has published widely, authored or co-authored numerous grants, and consulted frequently with school districts.

"Accurate, clearly written, and easy to understand even for the beginning researcher, with equal coverage of both qualitative and quantitative research. This is the only book where the authors combine a textbook approach to teaching research with a how-to approach."

• PrefaceAbout the AuthorsPart I. Getting Started1. Selecting a Suitable TopicSources of TopicsCriteria for Topic SelectionSummary2. Selecting a Chair and CommitteeCriteria to Consider in Selecting a ChairComposition and Role of the CommitteeResearch Prospective Committee MembersThe Desirable StudentSummaryPart II. What You Need to Know3. Quantitative Research DesignsDescriptive ResearchCorrelational ResearchCausal-Comparative ResearchQuasi-Experimental ResearchExperimental ResearchTheory DevelopmentSummary4. Basic StatisticsDescriptive StatisticsInferential StatisticsSummary5. Qualitative Research DesignsPhenomenological ResearchCase Study ResearchEthnographic ResearchGrounded Theory ResearchMixed Method ResearchSummaryPart III. The Dissertation Chapters6. Writing the Introduction ChapterBackground of the StudyStatement of the ProblemPurpose of the StudySignificance of the StudyDefinition of TermsTheoretical FrameworkModelsResearch Questions (or Hypotheses)LimitationsDelimitationsAssumptionsOrganization of the StudySummary7. Writing the Literature Review ChapterSearching the LiteratureWriting the Literature ReviewSynthesizing the LiteratureSummary8. Writing the Methodology ChapterIntroductionSelection of ParticipantsInstrumentationData CollectionData AnalysisSummaryConclusion9. Writing the Results ChapterIntroductionDescriptive StatisticsTesting the Research Questions (Hypotheses)Additional AnalysesSummaryConclusion10. Writing the Discussion ChapterSummaryDiscussionImplications for PracticeRecommendations for Further ResearchConclusionsSummaryPart IV. The Defense and Afterward11. The Proposal and Final DefensePrepare a Well-Written DocumentKnow the FormatPrepare Your PresentationPractice Your PresentationAnticipate QuestionsFinal Oral DefenseTips on How to Avoid Common MistakesSummary12. Publishing Your DissertationPresentationsJob InterviewAcademic JournalsBooksChapters in BooksPopular PressInternet PublishingDesktop PublishingPlanning the Writing ProcessSummaryAppendix A: Initial Letter to ParticipantsAppendix B: First Follow-up Letter to ParticipantsAppendix C: Second Follow-up Letter to ParticipantsAppendix D: Dissertation Proposal Outline (Correlational)Appendix E: Dissertation Proposal Outline (Analysis of Variance)Appendix F: Dissertation Proposal Outline (Multivariate Analysis of Variance)Appendix G: Dissertation Proposal Outline (Qualitative)Appendix H: The Qualitative Research CritiqueAppendix I: Agreement: Guidelines for Chairing a DissertationAppendix J: Checklist for Dissertation QualityReferencesIndex