Writing a Graduate Thesis or Dissertation

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xx

   PDF

2. What is a Thesis?

   • Lorrie Blair

   Pages 1-6

3. Finding the Right Supervisor

   • Lorrie Blair

   Pages 7-21

4. Writing the Proposal

   • Lorrie Blair

   Pages 23-30

5. Conducting and Writing Literature Reviews

   • Lorrie Blair

   Pages 31-42

6. Maintaining Academic Integrity

   • Lorrie Blair

   Pages 43-47

7. Choosing a Methodology

   • Lorrie Blair

   Pages 49-72

8. Conducting Ethical Research

   • Lorrie Blair

   Pages 73-84

9. Collecting and Analyzing Data

   • Lorrie Blair

   Pages 85-96

10. Establishing an Academic Track Record

    • Lorrie Blair

    Pages 97-111

11. Finding Support for Writing the Thesis

    • Lorrie Blair

    Pages 113-120

12. Dealing with Student-Supervisor Problems

    • Lorrie Blair

    Pages 121-126

13. Defending the Thesis

    • Lorrie Blair

    Pages 127-133

14. Back Matter

    Pages 135-145

    PDF

The Teaching Writing series publishes user-friendly writing guides penned by authors with publishing records in their subject matter. Blair’s practical book gives graduate students the tools they need to successfully plan, write, and defend their thesis or dissertation. Each chapter addresses a rite of passage common to most graduate programs: selecting a methodology, conducting a literature search, carrying out research, analyzing data, and preparing for a thesis defense. Combining years of supervisory experience with up-to-date research, Blair addresses issues important to graduate students that are often left out of these guides, including how to navigate the ethics review process and avoid problems related to academic integrity, such as plagiarism, how to select and prepare for a productive meeting with a supervisor, and how to establish an academic track record by presenting research at conferences and publishing in academic journals. Writing a Graduate Thesis or Dissertationoffers much more than its title suggests. It is a thorough and succinct guide to succeeding in graduate school, appropriate for thesis and research methods courses, and a must-read for graduate students across the disciplines.


“Like a series of productive meetings with a trusted advisor, each chapter of this text provides practical information and sound insight, thoughtfully organized and generously shared.” – Christine Marmé Thompson, Professor of Art Education, School of Visual Arts, Pennsylvania State University


“This will become a ‘must-have’ volume for every graduate student’s book shelf, with advice for every step of the thesis journey.” – Anne Lavack, Professor of Marketing, School of Business and Economics, Thompson Rivers University


“More than simply comprehensive, this work includes information and considerations that are rarely addressed in other guides, including information related to selecting supervisors and alternative forms of research methodologies and format styles.” – Adrienne Boulton-Funke, Assistant Professor, Art and Design, Missouri State University


Lorrie Blair is a Professor of Art Education at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. With over 25 years post-secondary teaching experience, she has held positions at universities in the United States and Canada. She is active as a supervisor of MA and Ph.D. thesis students and was a recent recipient of the Faculty of Fine Arts Distinguished Teaching Award.

• graduate research
• thesis supervisors
• research methods
• ethics
• methodology
• literature reviews
• thesis defense
• academic writing
• academic integrity

• Concordia University, Canada

  Lorrie Blair

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