Dissertations and Theses From Start to Finish
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- Table of contents
- Contributor bios
- Reviews and awards
- Book details
For more than 25 years, this book has guided student writers through the practical, logistical, and emotional struggles that come with writing dissertations and theses.
It offers guidance to students through all the essential steps, including:
- defining topics
- selecting faculty advisors
- scheduling time to work on the project
- conducting, analyzing, writing, presenting, and publishing research
This fully-updated third edition includes guiding questions, checklists, diagrams, and sample research papers. It also reflects the most recent advances in online research and includes fully updated online resources.
Each chapter begins with an Advance Organizer that offers an at-a-glance summary of chapter content and applicability for different types of readers. Chapters also include significantly expanded “To Do” and “Supplemental Resource” lists, as well as helpful suggestions for dealing with impasses and common internal and external “traps” that recur throughout the writing process.
The authors also provide a thoughtful consideration of the variety of roles faculty advisors play, and of variations in the thesis and dissertation process and requirements across institutions of higher learning.
Foreword Mitchell J. Prinstein
- What Are Theses and Dissertations, and Why Write a Book about Them?
- Starting Out: Assessing Your Preparation for the Task Ahead
- Time and Trouble Management
- Finding Topics and Faculty Collaborators
- Formulating and Communicating Your Plans: An Overview of the Proposal
- Reviewing the Literature
- Research Methodology and Ethics
- Measuring Study Variables
- Selecting the Appropriate Data Analysis Approaches
- Collecting, Managing, and Analyzing the Data
- Presenting the Results
- Discussing the Results
- Managing Committee Meetings: Proposal and Oral Defense
- Presenting Your Project to the World
About the Authors
Debora J. Bell, PhD, is a professor of psychology and associate chair for clinical science at the University of Missouri–Columbia.
She received her doctorate in psychology from West Virginia University after completing a clinical internship at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She has been at the University of Missouri since receiving her degree and has served as the director of clinical training and director of the clinical doctoral program’s training clinic, the Psychological Services Clinic, for 20 years.
Dr. Bell has held several national leadership positions in graduate psychology education, including current roles as editor of Training and Education in Professional Psychology and chair of the Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology, and as commissioner and chair of APA’s Commission on Accreditation.
She is a fellow of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies and is author of numerous articles, book chapters, and a book in the areas of graduate education, girls’ adjustment, and youths’ internalizing problems, social information processing, and regulation of positive emotions.
Sharon L. Foster, PhD, is a Distinguished Professor Emerita at Alliant International University in San Diego, California.
She received her doctorate in psychology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook after completing a clinical internship at the University of Washington Medical School. She also taught at West Virginia University.
Dr. Foster has served as an associate editor for the journals Behavioral Assessment and the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology , and she was a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences.
She is the author of four books and numerous articles and chapters on children’s peer relations, assessment and treatment of adolescent externalizing behavior problems, and research methodology.
John D. Cone, PhD, earned his BA in psychology from Stanford University and his master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Washington.
He has taught at the University of Puget Sound, West Virginia University, the University of Hawaii, United States International University, San Diego State University, and Alliant International University.
He is a fellow of both APA and the Association for Psychological Science, a member of the Association for Behavior Analysis, and a board certified behavior analyst.
His research interests include the development of idiographic assessment methodology; autism intervention; and the development, implementation, and evaluation of large-scale service delivery systems, especially those for persons with developmental disabilities.
An executive coach and frequent organizational consultant, Dr. Cone is the author of several books, including Evaluating Outcomes: Empirical Tools for Effective Practice (2001). When not being professionally active, he spends his time jogging, working on his 55’ yacht ( Context ), and cruising the waters of the blue Pacific.
Bell, Foster, and Cone draw from their many years of experience working with graduate students and input from their colleagues to offer this valuable resource to help students make the most of their graduate school experience. They provide sage advice on practical issues such as time management, basic skills such as writing and making oral presentations, and on more technical topics such as methodology and statistical analysis. Faculty interested in improving their mentoring will also find their advice helpful. —Albert D. Farrell, PhD Commonwealth Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond
What a rich resource! The authors strike just the right tone: clear, direct, and supportive. Students (and their advisors) will especially like the detailed checklists. —Timothy A. Cavell, PhD Professor of Psychology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, author of Working With Parents of Aggressive Children
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Study Like a Champ
- Utility Menu
Psychology Undergraduate Program
- Department of Psychology
- Thesis Advising
If you're thinking of writing a thesis as part of your Psychology concentration, the first thing you'll want to do is check out the Undergraduate Office's thesis manual . You can find it on the Honors Thesis section of this website! Then, you should contact Psychology's Thesis Tutorial Instructor.
Statistics Consulting
Statistics and coding may seem overwhelming at first, especially if the thesis project will be your first time working with your own data. For guidance, senior thesis students should reach out to the Department's Statistics Consultant . The Consultant holds individual meetings with students to provide input on statistical methods, writing analysis, and experimental results for thesis projects.
Alaric Wei, Data and Statistics Consultant (2024-2025)
Alaric Wei is a third-year Ph.D. student in the Psychology - Cognition, Brain, and Behavior program, under the mentorship of Dr. Randy Buckner. His research focuses on the neurobiology of cognition and behavior in both healthy individuals and patients with neurological or neuropsychiatric disorders. He employs neuroimaging, behavioral and psychological testing, and advanced computational methods to investigate these areas. Alaric aims to uncover the central mechanisms of human cognition and the underlying pathologies of various disorders by leveraging machine learning and deep learning techniques. Outside the lab, Alaric enjoys playing a wide range of board games and is training to become a private pilot. Feel free to chat with him about flying experiences!
As the Psychology Department’s Data and Statistics Consultant, Alaric assists thesis students with selecting appropriate analyses, troubleshooting code, discussing theory and methodology, and developing the skills to confidently present their research. With extensive experience in teaching statistics and advising undergraduates, he is eager to provide support and looks forward to hearing from you.
How to Meet with the Data and Statistics Consultant : Please email Alaric ( [email protected] ) directly with the following info:
- 3 specific dates and blocks of time that work for you
- A summary of the questions you'd like to discuss
- A copy of your most recent Data Analysis Plan (or most recent thesis proposal/prospectus (including background and proposed analyses))
- If possible, A copy of your data (or mock dataset that shows your expected data structure)
- Declaring a Concentration
- Concentration Advising
- Writing Advising
- Peer Advising
- Undergraduate Office Staff
- Scholarship Opportunities
- Study Out of Residence
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
In most psychology programs, the thesis and capstone function as a student’s final assignment. Use this guide to uncover the major aspects of thesis and capstone projects, including topics, grading criteria, and presentation requirements.
Experts offer the following advice on tackling these beginning stages of your dissertation-from getting organized to narrowing your topic to identifying your problem and research questions. Then, take it one chapter at a time, dissertation advisers say. PICKING A TOPIC.
For more than 25 years, this book has guided student writers through the practical, logistical, and emotional struggles that come with writing dissertations and theses. It offers guidance to students through all the essential steps, including: defining topics. selecting faculty advisors.
If you're thinking of writing a thesis as part of your Psychology concentration, the first thing you'll want to do is check out the Undergraduate Office's thesis manual.
the thesis — honors or master’s — is the first public demonstration of a student's scholarly abilities; the doctoral dissertation is intended to demonstrate the student's abilities at the highest level of professional competence. Since the thesis and the dissertation are public communications of scientific efforts and results, it
psychology tends to come from the ideas behind the writing, not the writing itself. This booklet is designed to acquaint you with the basic principles of psychological writing and to help you avoid pitfalls that beginning writers in the field often encounter.