Brause, R. S. (2000). Writing your doctoral dissertation: Invisible rules for success.
London; New York: Falmer Press. [LB 2369 B72 2000]
�Identifying your dissertation topic and your research questions� pp. 37-47.
Dunleavy, P. (2003). Authoring a PhD: How to plan, draft, write and finish a doctoral
thesis or dissertation. New York: Palgrave MacMillan. [LB 2369 D85 2003]
�Defining the central research questions� pp. 18-26.
Hawley, P. (2003). Being bright is not enough: The unwritten rules of doctoral study.
Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas. [LB 2386 H38 2003]
�Choosing a dissertation topic� pp. 35-51.
Martin, R. (1980). Writing and defending a thesis or dissertation in psychology
and education. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas. [BF 76.5 M36]
�Selecting the research topic� pp. 3-18.
Ogden, E. H. (1993). Completing your doctoral dissertation or master�s thesis in
two semesters or less. Lancaster, PA: Technomic. [REF LB 2369 O33 1993]
�Selecting a dissertation topic� pp. 41-55.
Rudestam, K. E. & Newton, R. R. (2007). Surviving your dissertation: A comprehensive guide to
content and process. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications. [LB 2369 R83 2007]
�Selecting a suitable topic� pp. 9-22.
2. Locate Background Information
Once you have selected a topic, try to gain an overview of the
scope, background, theories, important figures, significant events, and issues surrounding this
topic. You can gather this information from subject encyclopedias
and handbooks.
A subject encyclopedia or handbook also provides explanations of terminology and
the jargon for the field, introduces you to subtopics, and leads you to other relevant sources
through its bibliography at the end of each entry. In addition, cross-references provided by
the index can broaden your view of the topic.
The following links will take you to some important encyclopedias and handbooks in Education.
3. Form a Thesis Statement
After reading about your topic in subject encyclopedias or handbooks,
you will have a basic understanding of the various issues, key concepts, and facts associated with it.
With the background information, you should be able to focus your topic. Based on your
focal points and how they relate to each other, you then form a thesis statement for your research.
A thesis statement is usually one or two complete sentences describing
the precise question or issue which you are going to discuss in your paper. It can be
a debatable point that requires you take a stand and defend your position or a claim that
needs explanations and evidences. You need to develop your arguments in response to
the How? Why? and What? questions prompted by your thesis statement. Please consult the research guide
Creating a Thesis Statement for tips and examples for writing thesis statements.
You can also look up the following books and article for additional information on formulating hypotheses and
research questions.
Agee, J. (2009). Developing qualitative research questions: a reflective process.
International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education (QSE), 22(4), 431-447.
doi:10.1080/09518390902736512.
Bryant, M. T. (2004). The portable dissertation advisor.
Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press. [LB 1742 B79 2004]
�Research questions� pp. 49-60.
Cooley, L. & Lewkowicz, J. (2003). Dissertation writing in practice: turning ideas
into text. Aberdeen, Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. [LB 2369 C66X 2003]
�Hypotheses and research questions� pp. 31-36.
Hernon, P. & Schwartz, C. (2007). What is a problem statement? Library & Information Science
Research, 29(3), 307-309.
Rudestam, K. E. & Newton, R. R. (2007). Surviving your dissertation : a comprehensive guide to
content and process. Los Angeles, CA : SAGE Publications. [LB 2369 R83 2007]
�Literature review and statement of the problem� pp. 61-85.
4. Organize Your Topic into Concepts
Identify the main concepts in your thesis statement. Make a list of related terms
synonyms and related words or phrases that best describe the concepts. This strategy will allow you
to construct an effective search using online catalogs or electronic databases. For example,
if your thesis were "The effects of online courses on academic performance in higher education."
you might make a list like this:
| |
Keywords that
express your concepts |
|
Related terms or synonyms
for the keywords in column one |
| | | | | | |
| Concept 1 |
online courses |
or |
Web-based
instruction |
or |
distance education |
| | | | | | |
| and |
|
|
|
|
|
| | | | | | |
| Concept 2 |
academic
performance |
or |
academic achievement |
or |
student evaluation |
| | | | | | |
| and |
|
|
|
|
|
| | | | | | |
| Concept 3 |
higher education |
or |
university |
or |
college |
5. Identify Search Terms
Whether or not you use correct terms to research your topic will greatly
impact your search effectiveness and outcome. As mentioned above, it is useful to brainstorm
for a list of keywords, synonyms, and related terms based on the main concepts of your research
topic. Below are some tools and tips for you to identify appropriate search terms:
- Indexes of your textbooks
Thesaurus of ERIC descriptors (REF Z 695.1 E3 E34) in the Reference Collection.
You can also access the Thesaurus online through the Web site
for Education Resources Information Center (ERIC).
For samples of terms indexed in ERIC Thesaurus, please see
Examples of ERIC Thesaurus Descriptors.
Library of Congress Subject Headings (REF Z695 U4752X 2002) in the
Reference Collection. The subject headings function like a thesaurus, allowing you to
find the relevant materials about a specific topic with greater precision than
keywords. The following are some examples of the Library of Congress Subject Headings:
Education-United States-Curricula
Education - Cross Cultural Studies
Education, Higher - Administration
Education - Research - Methodology
Education - Statistics
Education - Study and Teaching
Educational Accountability - United States
Educational Evaluation
Language Arts
Mainstreaming in Education - United States
Multicultural Education - United States
Second Language Acquisition
|
