Authoring a PhD: How to Plan, Draft, Write and Finish a Doctoral Thesis or Dissertation (Palgrave Study Guides) | 
| Author: Patrick Dunleavy
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Category: Book
List Price: £19.99
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Avg. Customer Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 13484
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.7
ISBN: 1403905843
Dewey Decimal Number: 808.02
EAN: 9781403905840
ASIN: 1403905843
Publication Date: April 28, 2003
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
 You will need a PhD to read this June 12, 2008
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
If you're looking for an easy to read guide to authoring a PhD, this book is not for you. The author seems more interested in using fancy and complicated sentences than actually clearly stating what he means. I picked a line at random,here is a typical sentence; "For Oaskeshott and other traditionalists my enterprise here will seem no more than another brick in the wall, a further step toward the bureaucratization of modern society forseen by Max Weber. " When your at the start of your PhD, this book is not what you want to read. I felt like telling the author; yes I know you're very clever, but can you explain things clearly rather than showing off how complicated and confusing you can make a sentence. I've already stopped reading this, and have bought a more clear easy to read text.
 A good book, but don't rely upon it as your sole guide February 16, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
This book is written by a political scientist and I think this shows through quite clearly in the focus and content of the book. Although there is no specification of it in the title, the book is probably excellent for PhD students in disciplines similar to his, the usefulness is very much more limited for students in, for example, science.
The content of the book is detailed and reasonably comprehensive in many aspects of PhD authorship but I would be wary of blindly following his advice too closely without consideration of whether it is strictly appropriate for you. There are numerous passages in which his personal likes and dislikes in terms of PhD content are stressed but without sufficient acknowledgement that other examiners - and particularly those in other disciplines - might have contrasting, but equally strongly held, convictions. Examples given of thesis structure are less appropriate for natural scientists and medics than for those studying humanities.
In its favour, the book is particularly geared to those studying in the UK. While the differences between the UK PhD system and those of continental Europe and the US are mentioned, the emphasis remains on the UK, in contrast to much of the information available on the internet, for example.
In summary, this is a good, and generally well written, book but I would strongly recommend consulting at least one other on the same topic in order to gain a more balanced range of opinions rather than relying on one person's personal slant.
 Excellent and not limited for use by PhD Students. It can help us all... January 22, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I found this book to provide fundamental guidance to anybody looking for assistance to carry out a constructive research on any subject, be it management, science, technology or art. I found it useful for writing essays/articles in technology areas.
Must have! August 31, 2006
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
The book is written in a pleasant style. The author supervised more than 30 doctoral students at the University of London. If you are from the United Kingdom of Great Britain, then I suggest you buy this book as the PhD programmes in the United States of America differ slightly.
A practical and high value-added guide March 11, 2005
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
I strongly recommend this book to other Ph.D. students. It is practical and contains useful and very specific advice. The author stays clear of general and obvious comments of the type 'communication with your supervisor is important'.
A particular focus of the book is on the structure of the thesis and the organization of chapters. There are tips on clear writing (but this is not a style-book). Further, the book contains: how to draft and remodel text; how figures of different types ought to be integrated; tips on finishing the thesis (first and laster chapters, abstract); and getting published.
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