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Survival Skills for Thesis and Dissertation Candidates

  • Engages students and enhance their comfort level as they journey through the thesis or dissertation process
  • Provides, in a single text, the information that students need to complete their thesis or dissertation successfully
  • Addresses the things to do as well as not to do at every stage of the research process

Part of the book series: Springer Texts in Education (SPTE)

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Table of contents (38 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxi
  2. Your Commitment is Essential to Success

    • Robert S. Fleming, Michelle Kowalsky
    Pages 1-4
  3. The Research Process

    • Robert S. Fleming, Michelle Kowalsky
    Pages 5-9
  4. The Importance of Effective Time Management

    • Robert S. Fleming, Michelle Kowalsky
    Pages 11-14
  5. Developing a Realistic Timetable

    • Robert S. Fleming, Michelle Kowalsky
    Pages 15-18
  6. Developing a Time and Resource Allocation Plan

    • Robert S. Fleming, Michelle Kowalsky
    Pages 19-23
  7. Understanding Institutional Policies and Procedures

    • Robert S. Fleming, Michelle Kowalsky
    Pages 25-29
  8. The Importance of Meeting Deadlines

    • Robert S. Fleming, Michelle Kowalsky
    Pages 31-35
  9. Understanding Why Candidates Fail to Complete Their Thesis or Dissertation

    • Robert S. Fleming, Michelle Kowalsky
    Pages 37-41
  10. Focusing on a Manageable Research Topic

    • Robert S. Fleming, Michelle Kowalsky
    Pages 43-46
  11. Identifying an Area of Research Interest

    • Robert S. Fleming, Michelle Kowalsky
    Pages 47-51
  12. Roles and Responsibilities of a Research Advisor

    • Robert S. Fleming, Michelle Kowalsky
    Pages 53-57
  13. Selecting Research Advisors

    • Robert S. Fleming, Michelle Kowalsky
    Pages 59-63
  14. Working with Your Research Advisors

    • Robert S. Fleming, Michelle Kowalsky
    Pages 65-69
  15. Roles and Responsibilities of Your Committee

    • Robert S. Fleming, Michelle Kowalsky
    Pages 71-75
  16. Working with Committee Group Dynamics

    • Robert S. Fleming, Michelle Kowalsky
    Pages 77-81
  17. Identifying a Research Topic

    • Robert S. Fleming, Michelle Kowalsky
    Pages 83-87
  18. Refining Your Research Topic

    • Robert S. Fleming, Michelle Kowalsky
    Pages 89-93
  19. Identifying Literature Review Sources

    • Robert S. Fleming, Michelle Kowalsky
    Pages 95-98
  20. Identifying Research Questions

    • Robert S. Fleming, Michelle Kowalsky
    Pages 99-103

About this book

This is a must-have preparation and reference guide for students embarking on the challenging journey of completing a thesis or dissertation. The authors, who are both “students of thesis and dissertation travel,” combine their expertise and insights to offer wise travel guidance designed to enhance both the success and satisfaction of this likely once-in-a-lifetime journey. The various chapters provide a realistic preview of how to prepare for and how to complete each stage of this travel journey successfully. Individual chapters on each of the major tasks each serve as an important reference for students to review as they progress, thus providing a guide which will be consulted many times throughout their program. 

The book provides advice on the most common aspects of the thesis or dissertation process, and it is written in a user-friendly manner designed to engage students and to enhance their comfort level as they journey through their candidacy. The importance of each task in the thesis or dissertation journey is addressed, along with its role in contributing to a successful outcome, and is accompanied by advice and suggestions from previous travellers. The challenges inherent in all stages of the journey are examined, along with proactive strategies for avoiding potential “bumps in the road.” You will not want to depart on this monumental travel adventure without this valuable survival guide!


Authors and Affiliations

  • Rohrer College of Business, Rowan University, Glassboro, USA

    Robert S. Fleming

  • Campbell Library, Rowan University, Glassboro, USA

    Michelle Kowalsky

About the authors

Robert S. Fleming holds a joint appointment at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey, as a professor of management in the Rohrer College of Business where he previously served as dean, and as a professor of crisis and emergency management within the Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management program. In addition to a doctorate in Higher Education Administration from Temple University, he has five earned master’s degrees, including a Master of Governmental Administration from the Fels Center of Government of the University of Pennsylvania. The primary focus of his research, teaching, and consulting has been on enhancing organizational effectiveness and resilience, with an emphasis on contemporary businesses, non-profits, public safety, and governmental entities. He is a prolific author, having published a number of books and articles, as well as a recognized authority and media source for various business, emergency management, and crisis management topics. For more than 30 years he has been a student of the thesis and dissertation process and has assisted students and colleagues in their journeys from the initial conceptualization of their research interests to successful completion of a substantial project. 

Michelle Kowalsky is a librarian at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey. She holds multiple degrees, including a doctorate in Education from Pepperdine University. She teaches undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, and staff about the art and science of research in all subject areas. As a reference and instruction librarian and tenured professor, she has served as a Dissertation Chair and committee member, as well as a Master’s Thesis chair for the College of Education. Her background includes working as a Library and Information Sciences faculty member, as a teacher preparation professor, as a graduate program coordinator and academic advisor, and as an academic, school, and public librarian. Her research interests focus on the interactions between libraries, technologies, and learning, and she has published and presented on a wide variety of research topics in the fields of business, education and librarianship.


Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Survival Skills for Thesis and Dissertation Candidates

  • Authors: Robert S. Fleming, Michelle Kowalsky

  • Series Title: Springer Texts in Education

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80939-3

  • Publisher: Springer Cham

  • eBook Packages: Education, Education (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-80938-6Published: 15 September 2021

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-80939-3Published: 14 September 2021

  • Series ISSN: 2366-7672

  • Series E-ISSN: 2366-7680

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XXI, 213

  • Number of Illustrations: 1 b/w illustrations

  • Topics: Thesis and Dissertation, Research Methods in Education, Writing Skills, Higher Education, Research Skills

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 69.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access