General Graduate Student Success
A Field Guide to Grad School by
An essential handbook to the unwritten and often unspoken knowledge and skills you need to succeed in grad school Some of the most important things you need to know in order to succeed in graduate school--like how to choose a good advisor, how to get funding for your work, and whether to celebrate or cry when a journal tells you to revise and resubmit an article--won't be covered in any class. They are part of a hidden curriculum that you are just expected to know or somehow learn on your own--or else. In this comprehensive survival guide for grad school, Jessica McCrory Calarco walks you through the secret knowledge and skills that are essential for navigating every critical stage of the postgraduate experience, from deciding whether to go to grad school in the first place to finishing your degree and landing a job. An invaluable resource for every prospective and current grad student in any discipline, A Field Guide to Grad School will save you grief--and help you thrive--in school and beyond. Provides invaluable advice about how to: Choose and apply to a graduate program Stay on track in your program Publish and promote your work Get the most out of conferences Navigate the job market Balance teaching, research, service, and life
Call Number: ebookISBN: 9780691201108Publication Date: 2020-08-25
The Doctoral Students Advisor and Mentor by
This book focuses on using faculty mentoring to empower doctoral students to successfully complete their doctoral studies. The book is a collection of mentoring chapters showcasing professors and dissertation advisors from the most prestigious universities in the United States. They provide an extraordinary range of mentoring advice that speaks directly to the doctoral student. Each chapter addresses a professional or personal component of the doctoral process that represents how these exceptional faculty best mentor their doctoral students. Faculty contributions exemplify diverse perspectives of mentoring: (a) Some faculty are direct and forthright, pointing the mentee toward his/her destination; (b) some faculty share personal experiences-offering mentoring advice from the perspective of someone who traveled a similar path; and (c) some faculty structure a dialogue between the faculty as mentor and you as the doctoral student. In all cases, they open possibilities for achieving success in doctoral studies. Students discover clues to follow during their doctoral journey. Whether the student is just beginning to think about entering a doctoral program, presently taking course studies, under stress, and doesn't know what the future offers, this is an ideal book because it maps the entire doctoral process.
Call Number: LB2386 .D625 2010ISBN: 9781607094494Publication Date: 2010-08-16
General Writing for Graduate Students
- Scholarly Writing for Graduate Students (Walden University) Extensive resources on effective writing for graduate students. Sections of note include the Scholarly Voice and Using Evidence, along with the specialized writing recommendations for capstones, dissertations, and writing for publication.
Selected ebooks
The PhD Writing Handbook by
This is an invaluable guide to developing the writing skills needed to succeed at every stage of postgraduate research. It provides useful guidance on writing clearly and coherently, and covers core topics such as exploring key concepts through writing, building a structured chapter framework and completing a first draft. Each chapter features insights from researchers along with hands-on tasks and self-evaluation exercises to help readers develop their own strategies for success. This detailed, step-by-step guide to the secrets of successful PhD writing will be essential reading for PhD students and their supervisors across a wide range of disciplines.
Call Number: ebookISBN: 9781137497697Publication Date: 2016-09-23
Academic Writing by
This book provides a foundation and framework to enhance your understanding of the various processes involved in academic writing. The term, academic writing, here refers to the types of writing used in college level writing courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level. However, this book was not written simply to help you pass another English class or to get you through the next writing intensive course (although it will certainly do that). At some point you will be out in the real world (hopefully). Thus, the purpose of this book is to enable you to be an effective writer and thinker in all contexts including your personal and professional lives.
Call Number: ebookISBN: 9781475823554Publication Date: 2016-05-08
Reading, Writing, and Discussing at the Graduate Level by
The purpose of this book is to help international students navigate the academic issues they will encounter while attending graduate school in the United States. This book provides guidelines for conquering the obstacles that international graduate students often face, such as developing independent ideas based on required readings, participating in classroom discussions effectively, organizing academic papers, and effectively managing academic work and social relationships. This book is an invaluable tool for international graduate students and their instructors and mentors.
Call Number: ebookISBN: 9780761864127Publication Date: 2014-09-04
The Productive Graduate Student Writer (in print and ebook) by
This book is for graduate students--and others--who want to become more productive writers. It's especially written for those who want to: * increase their motivation, focus, and persistence to move a project to completion * overcome procrastination and perfectionistic tendencies * reduce (or write in spite of) their anxiety and fear of writing * manage their time, work, energy (and advisor) for greater productivity The process or craft of sustained writing is not a matter that's taught to undergraduate or graduate students as part of their studies, leaving most at sea about how to start a practice that is central to a career in academe and vital in many other professional occupations. This book grew out of conversations Jan Allen has held with her graduate students for over 30 years and reflects the fruit of the writing workshops and boot camps she has conducted at three universities, her own and numerous colleagues' experiences with writing and advising, as well as the feedback she receives from her popular Productive Writer listserv. While Jan Allen recognizes that writing is not an innate talent for most of us, she demonstrates that it is a process based on skills which we can identify, learn, practice and refine. She focuses both on the process and habits of writing as well as on helping you uncover what kind of writer are you, and reflect on your challenges and successes. With a light touch and an engaging sense of humor, she proposes strategies to overcome procrastination and distractions, and build a writing practice to enable you to become a more productive and prolific writer. Jan Allen proposes that you read one of her succinct chapters - each devoted to a specific strategy or writing challenge - each day, or once a week. When you find one that increases your concentration, motivation or endurance, make it a habit. Try it for two weeks, charting the resulting increased productivity. It will become part of your repertoire of writing and productivity tools to which you can progressively add.
Call Number: LB2369 .A45 2019ISBN: 9781620368930Publication Date: 2019-07-02
How We Write by
This little book arose spontaneously, in the late spring of 2015, when a series of conversations emerged -- first in a university roundtable on graduate student dissertation-writing, and then in a rapidly proliferating series of blog posts -- on the topic of how we write. One commentary generated another, each one characterized by enormous speed, eloquence, and emotional forthrightness. This collection is not about how TO write, but how WE write: unlike a prescriptive manual that promises to unlock the secret to efficient productivity, the contributors talk about their own writing processes, in all their messy, frustrated, exuberant, and awkward dis/order. The contributors range from graduate students and recent PhDs to senior scholars working in the fields of medieval studies, art history, English literature, poetics, early modern studies, musicology, and geography. All are engaged in academic writing, but some of the contributors also publish in other genres, includes poetry and fiction. Several contributors maintain a very active online presence, including blogs and websites; all are committed to strengthening the bonds of community, both in person and online, which helps to explain the effervescent sense of collegiality that pervades the volume, creating linkages across essays and extending outward into the wide world of writers and readers. Contributors include: Michael Collins, Suzanne Conklin Akbari, Alexandra Gillespie, Alice Hutton Sharp, Asa Simon Mittman, Jeffrey Jerome Cohen, Maura Nolan, Richard H. Godden, Bruce Holsinger, Stuart Elden, Derek Gregory, Steve Mentz, and Dan Kline.
Call Number: ebookISBN: 9780692519332Publication Date: 2015-09-11
Selected Books in Print
Polish Your Academic Writing by
Struggling to find your academic voice? Polish Your Academic Writing gives you the advice and skills you need to write appropriately and impactfully and get the best grades in your assignments. Effectively make your point and answer the assigned question Build a solid and logical writing structure Perfect your paragraphs and make your sentences flow. Super Quick Skills provide the essential building blocks you need to succeed at university - fast. Packed with practical, positive advice on core academic and life skills, you'll discover focused tips and strategies to use straight away. Whether it's writing great essays, understanding referencing or managing your wellbeing, find out how to build good habits and progress your skills throughout your studies. Learn core skills quickly Apply right away and see results Succeed in your studies and life. Super Quick Skills give you the foundations you need to confidently navigate the ups and downs of university life.
Call Number: LB2369 .C65 2020ISBN: 1529703786Publication Date: 2019-11-23
Mastering Academic Writing by
Focusing on research-related assignments, this book helps you navigate the potential pitfalls of academic writing through the experience of students who face the same challenges you do. Packed with hands-on exercises and insightful feedback, this workbook gives you the practice you need to fine tune your academic writing. Using their years of experience coaching students, the authors help you to: Develop and hone arguments Organise and interpret source material Write effective research proposals Follow academic conventions with confidence Complete collaborative writing projects. Perfect for anyone transitioning from undergraduate to postgraduate degrees, Mastering Academic Writing provides the skills, tips, and tricks you need to move beyond the basics of academic writing and meet the new expectations of further study. The Student Success series are essential guides for students of all levels. From how to think critically and write great essays to planning your dream career, the Student Success series helps you study smarter and get the best from your time at university. Visit the SAGE Study Skills hub for tips and resources for study success!
Call Number: LB2369 .S26 2019ISBN: 9781446299661Publication Date: 2019-01-10
From Student to Scholar by
From Student to Scholar guides graduate students through the "hidden" developmental transition required in writing a dissertation and moving beyond, to become a successful scholar. Identifying common rhetorical challenges across disciplines, author Hjortshoj explains how to accommodate evolving audiences, motivations, standards, writing processes, and timelines. One full chapter is devoted to "writing blocks," and another offers advice to international students who are non-native speakers of English. The text also offers advice for managing relations with advisors and preparing for the diverse careers that PhDs, trained primarily as research specialists, actually enter. On the basis of more than thirty years of consultations with graduate students, this volume is an important addition to graduate thesis seminars and composition courses, as well as an invaluable reference for writing centers, workshops, and learning support centers.
Call Number: P301.5.A27 H56 2019ISBN: 9781138569447Publication Date: 2018-08-14
Thesis/dissertation Resources
A Counselor's Guide to the Dissertation Process by Call Number: ebookISBN: 9781556203596Publication Date: 2017-05-01
Writing a Graduate Thesis or Dissertation by
Writing A Graduate Thesis or Dissertation is a comprehensive guide to the stages of working through the rigors of writing and defending a graduate degree from the initial stages of choosing a thesis topic and supervisor, right through to the defense of the work. Each chapter can be consulted separately, or the whole book read to give a wide-ranging understanding of the issues most pertinent to writing and defending a thesis. This book provides something for everyone involved in that process. Both graduate students and their supervisors will find this a refreshing and thorough collection that addresses the topic across a wide range of disciplines.
Call Number: ebookISBN: 9789463004268Publication Date: 2016-02-10
Demystifying Dissertation Writing by
Research shows that five strategies correlate with the successful completion of a dissertation: Establishing a consistent writing routine Working with a support group Consulting your advisor Understanding your committee's expectations Setting a realistic and timely schedule Building on these insights, this book is for anyone who needs help in preparing for, organizing, planning, scheduling, and writing the longest sustained writing project they have encountered, particularly if he or she is not receiving sufficient guidance about the process, but also for anyone looking to boost his or her writing productivity. The author uncovers much tacit knowledge, provides advice on working with dissertation advisors and committee members, presents proven techniques for the prewriting and writing stages of the dissertation, sets out a system for keeping on schedule, and advocates enlisting peer support. As Peg Boyle Single states, "my goal is quite simple and straightforward: for you to experience greater efficiency and enjoyment while writing. If you experience anxiety, blocking, impatience, perfectionism or procrastination when you write, then this system is for you. I want you to be able to complete your writing so that you can move on with the rest of your life." Few scholars, let alone graduate students, have been taught habits of writing fluency and productivity. The writing skills imparted by this book will not only help the reader through the dissertation writing process, but will serve her or him in whatever career she or he embarks on, given the paramount importance of written communication, especially in the academy. This book presents a system of straightforward and proven techniques that are used by productive writers, and applies them to the dissertation process. In particular, it promotes the concept of writing networks - whether writing partners or groups - to ensure that writing does not become an isolated and tortured process, while not hiding the need for persistence and sustained effort. This book is intended for graduate students and their advisers in the social sciences, the humanities, and professional fields. It can further serve as a textbook for either informal writing groups led by students or for formal writing seminars offered by departments or graduate colleges. The techniques described will help new faculty advice their students more effectively and even achieve greater fluency in their own writing.
Call Number: ebookISBN: 9781579223120Publication Date: 2009-09-28
The Faculty Mentor's Wisdom by
This book focuses on using faculty mentoring to empower doctoral students to successfully complete their doctoral studies. The book is a collection of mentoring chapters showcasing professors and dissertation advisors from the most prestigious universities in the United States. They provide an extraordinary range of mentoring advice that speaks directly to the doctoral student. Each chapter addresses a professional or personal component of the doctoral process that represents how these exceptional faculty best mentor their doctoral students. Faculty contributions exemplify diverse perspectives of mentoring: (a) Some faculty are direct and forthright, pointing the mentee toward his/her destination; (b) some faculty share personal experiences-offering mentoring advice from the perspective of someone who traveled a similar path; and (c) some faculty structure a dialogue between the faculty as mentor and you as the doctoral student. In all cases, they open possibilities for achieving success in doctoral studies. Students discover clues to follow during their doctoral journey. Whether the student is just beginning to think about entering a doctoral program, presently taking course studies, under stress, and doesn't know what the future offers, this is an ideal book because it maps the entire doctoral process.
Call Number: LB2369 .F33 2010ISBN: 1607098768Publication Date: 2010-10-16
Challenges in Writing Your Dissertation by
Different from traditional dissertation writing books, Challenges in Writing Your Dissertation: Coping With the Emotional, Interpersonal, and Spiritual Struggles addresses doctoral students' often overlooked but crucial issues that can delay dissertation completion. In a straightforward, colloquial style, Dr. Sterne offers discussions, anecdotes, questions, exercises, checklists, role play scripts, and affirmative spiritual statements. In Part One, Sneaking Up on the Dissertation, Dr. Sterne directs readers to explore their academic dreams. In Part Two, Really Doing It, Dr. Sterne assists students to set priorities, begin actually writing, and access many avenues of support. In Part Three, Your Near, Dear, and Despairing Significant Others, Dr. Sterne shows readers how to handle nonsupportive family and friends with strategies to recover their allegiance. In Part Four, Good University Cops and Bad, Dr. Sterne advises students how to choose and live with chairs and committees and utilize other university associates. In Part Five, Graduation: It's Only a Walk Away, Dr. Sterne counsels almost-doctors to take all necessary steps to graduation and helps them re-enter life ABD--After and Beyond the Dissertation.
Call Number: ebookISBN: 9781475815047Publication Date: 2015-09-09
Books on Conducting Literature Reviews
Literature Reviews Made Easy by
This book is designed to help you achieve one specific goal. It's not designed to give you the philosophies of conducting research. It's not designed to give you a background in a specific academic discipline or a specific topic. It's not designed to give you theory. It's designed specifically to instruct you in the practicalities of the writing process used to create strong, thorough, and potentially bulletproof literature reviews. This book is the culmination of years of research experience. It's also the culmination of several years of teaching writing and critical thinking to doctoral students. Although it began as a tool for doctoral students, it has been expanded to be useful for everyone from senior high school students through doctoral candidates working on developing their first literature review or a larger literature review than they normally develop. It has been created for everyone from academics to new business entrepreneurs with good ideas who are trying to write their first reviews to support the new idea they're proposing.
Call Number: ebookISBN: 9781617351914Publication Date: 2010-10-01
Writing Literature Reviews by
* Guides students in the preparation of literature reviews for term projects, theses, and dissertations. * Most chapters are conveniently divided into easy-to-follow guidelines, sequential steps, or checklists. Numerous examples throughout the book show students what should and should not be done when writing reviews. * Emphasizes critical analysis of reports of empirical research in academic journals--making it ideal as a supplement for research methods courses. This book makes it possible for students to work independently on a critical literature review as a term project. * Nine model literature reviews at the end of the book provide the stimulus for homework assignments and classroom discussions. * The activities at the end of each chapter keep students moving toward their goal of writing a polished, professional review of academic literature. * Most examples include material from recently published research. Includes nine model literature reviews for discussion and evaluation.
Call Number: H62 .G35 2004ISBN: 1884585507Publication Date: 2004-01-01
Preparing Literature Reviews by
* Illustrates all the steps in preparing qualitative and quantitative literature reviews. * Emphasizes topic selection, locating literature, and avoiding major pitfalls in evaluating and synthesizing literature. * Shows how to improve literature reviews through the judicious inclusion of statistical results found in the literature. * Provides easy-to-follow advice on how to avoid misrepresenting the results of published research in literature reviews. * The numerous examples throughout the text and the nine model literature reviews clarify the process of following the guidelines for writing solid, state-of-the-art literature reviews. * Shows students how to blend qualitative and quantitative approaches to preparing literature reviews without being overly mathematical.
Call Number: Q180.55.E9 P36 2013ISBN: 9781936523115Publication Date: 2013-03-01
