Finding Your Way to a Ph.D.: Advice from the Dissertation Mentor

A 2nd edition is now available. The path to a Ph.D. is not an easy one. On the way to writing the dissertation are both well-recognized obstacles (such as defenses) and ones hiding which will trip students who do not have guidance. Any journey goes easier with a guidebook that explains the history of the locale, things you must see and things to avoid. This book is a guidebook to help the dissertation student through the process of completing the dissertation. It provides tips on handling committee members, writing various chapters, gives a refresher on statistics and qualitative analysis, and provides motivational messages along the way. Finding Your Way to a Ph.D. differs from other books in the topic area, in that it gives specific advice lacking in other books. For example, readers are taken through the process of finding topics for their research study and how to search for relevant research. Many examples are provided along with suggestions of additional resources.