The Thesis Writing Survival Guide: Research and Write an Academic Thesis or Disseration with Less Stress

by Dietmar Sternad, Harriet Power

Writing a thesis or dissertation can be a tough task—this practical guide will make it much easier! Are you a student who’s just a thesis or dissertation away from completing your degree? Do you feel it’s a hugely daunting task and you’re not sure where to begin, or how to tackle all the reading, researching, and writing ahead of you?

Don’t worry—you don’t have to do it alone! This concise guide will support you every step of the way on your journey from initial idea to completed thesis.

In this practical guide, packed with tips, tricks, and tools, you will

How to find the right topic for your thesis or dissertationHow to write a convincing research proposal How to conduct a literature review How to choose and correctly apply an appropriate qualitative or quantitative research methodHow to develop a mindset that will keep you writingHow to write like an academic and build up convincing arguments
With The Thesis Writing Survival Guide at your side, you will confidently overcome all the challenges that students typically encounter on their thesis or dissertation writing journey.

The book is written with a focus on the typical needs of graduate students in the social sciences, although students from other disciplines and those who are writing a thesis as part of their undergraduate studies will also find plenty of useful advice in it.

Learn the nuts and bolts of thesis writing—and successfully complete your degree!

“This is a masterful guide! Concise but rich in wisdom and practical advice, the authors offer step-by-step advice on how to make the process of writing an academic thesis more of an adventure of discovery, and less of an onerous task—and do so with elegance, clarity, and even a bit of humor.”
— Professor James J. Kennelly, Professor of International Business & Management, Skidmore College, New York (USA)

“An engaging and very practical guide to the process of writing a thesis. It is full of practical, actionable tips which graduate students and doctoral candidates will find invaluable.”
— Dr Jonathan Stoddart, Lecturer (Teaching), Academic Writing Centre, UCL Institute of Education, University College London (UK)

“As a PhD student, I have found this book to be an excellent companion in own my thesis writing journey. It’s definitely my survival guide!”
— Michela Bearzi, PhD student at the University of Udine (Italy) and the University of Jonkoping (Sweden)

“The Thesis Writing Survival Guide provides many helpful guidelines and tips to guide and motivate the student.”
— Dr Arona Dison, Coordinator of the UWC Writing Centre, University of the Western Cape (South Africa)

“The perfect handbook to navigate the tumultuous process of writing a thesis. In this survival guide, the authors provide down to earth advice on how to avoid the pitfalls encountered by most students when writing their thesis.

330 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 1, 2023

Reviews

[CraftyBirdies · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5. This book actually covers a thesis or dissertation, but only uses the word thesis. That threw me at first but it does cover it all. It has a lot of great detail about how to write each main part of the thesis. I found those sections the most helpful. It covers a few topics (how to conduct qualitative and quantitative research, how to use references and avoid plagiarism) that are too brief to do them justice, which is why I took off half a star. They have to be brief to be included here because whole books could be written about those topics by themselves. I think it would have been better if those topics were not their own section, but briefly referenced as part of something else and pointed readers to further information.

[Alex Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great primer for anyone starting a masters of PhD program where you spends years writing research papers and theses. Academic research is formulaic. With peer review, they expect you certain formats, writing styles, and research patterns. This book covers each one.

The writing sections are the strongest of the book. It covers how to write each section of a research paper I’m dedicated chapters. It covers different research methods, to give you an overview of how each works. It also covers academic grammar and academic style as well. I think it’s a real good overview for everyone to start.

I got a research paper rejected. I then read this book and edited my rejected paper based on what I learned from it. When I sent my revision to my advisor he exclaimed, “this is a completely different paper! In a good way”. We submitted it again and was promptly accepted. I’m a first year PhD, so I have a lot more papers to write and I think this book has prepared me nicely. A lot of 2nd and even 3rd year PhD students haven’t been published yet, but I was after reading this book.

This book won’t replace a good advisor (which I also have). But I think it’s a great start for anyone who has been accepted into a graduate level program, to get them primed before starting.