I tend to look at the usual social science dissertation as having five chapters. This is usually not the case in the physical or natural sciences where many different organizational schema, often accomodating published papers within the dissertation, may be appropriate. With this as a preamble, if you are finding that you are not receiving meaningful feedback from your advisor about the structure, organization and style of your dissertation/thesis this book can be extremely helpful. The book makes few assumptions about what you do or do not know and presents dozens of very specific short paragraphs on such topics as Preparing to Print the Final Version, What Results to Include, Writing Methods, Which Tense to Use ("It is best to use past tenses, on the whole..."), Annotating Graphs, and even Problems With Supervisors.

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Product Description

A guide to good dissertation and thesis writing. It is written in an accessible style with cartoons and real-life anecdotes. It outlines the rules and conventions of scientific writing - particularly for dissertations and theses - and gives the reader practical advice about planning, writing, editing, presenting and submitting a successful dissertation or thesis. The book can be used either as a guide from day one of a degree course or as a quick reference when deadlines are looming.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #95527 in Books
• Published on: 1999-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 278 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781860942075
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

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Customer Reviews

the thesis writing bible
This book covers all aspects of writing a thesis or dissertation. The author is an experienced scientist and her PhD students are reknowned for their well written work. There are even tips on those lessons at school that you always fell asleep in - grammar! I don't know how I would ever have got through things without this book. An ironic sense of humour makes it all most readable.

Writing a dissertation is not writing a science article
Not sure why anyone could ever complain about this book. At my university (a top DC area school) you are required to write a dissertation for the degree of doctorate. In the published requirements of the graduate school it says to consult, in addition to the university's requirements, a style manual in your discipline. This is the ONLY appropriate style manual I have read for biological scientists, cancer researchers, developmental biologists etc. It has nothing to do with British or not British. It has to do with standards which should be followed for all dissertations.

A dissertation is a final hoop to jump through which is supposed to show:
(a) that you understand your field of research very well
(b) that you have a body of work which contributes to your field
(c) that you understand the place of your research and future directions of research in your field.

Thus it is not writing a scientific paper. Nothing is more irritating that students who try to "skim by" because they wrote a paper or two. First of all a student's advisor revises their papers extensively. Not so with a dissertation. Dissertations and theses are an academic exercise.

Anyway, my soap-box aside, I love the book, it has a wonderful sense of humor, and it is a long-over due book which sets some standards and principles that ALL students should have to meet.

Common Sense
This book is a good start if you have no idea how to go about writing a professional paper. If you have written long term papers in the past and have an academic advisor, this book may not be the one for you, but if you are on your own and have no idea what you are supposed to do... why not.