Masters Thesis My professor explained that for a masters-level thesis, the student must implement his theory in the real world to see if it works. Then it must be tested to review the results and the validity of the original thesis statement. Doctoral Dissertation Question Is a dissertation the same thing as a masters-level thesis, except on a grander scale? What exactly is a dissertation and what are the requirements of a dissertation? What is involved?
The goal of a doctoral dissertation is to produce original, significant knowledge to one's field. This is accomplished by researching the literature in the field, determine an area where research is required, develop a question or questions to research, design the method(s) to do this, conduct the research, analyze the results, and write them up. The result should be an examination of the question using your methodology and a discussion of the resulting findings. The examined question could be conceptual (say, the testing of a newly developed theory against observable facts), practical (like the development, implementation, and evaluation of a new process), experimental (like determining the effectiveness of a new drug vs. an old one), historical (say, offering your idea as to the cause of WWI and then researching the available evidence to support your claim), or any number of other ways. The Context The Literature Review The Question The Research The Answer Recommendations for Further Research. Original. Substantial. Significant Contribution. I highly recommend the following: How to Complete and Survive a Doctoral Dissertation David Sternberg St Martin's Press 1981 ISBN: 0312396066
dissertation I have never written a dissertation or thesis. I have often wondered something about the process. Since the purpose of the dissertation process is to demonstrate the candidate's ability to conduct independant research, shouldn't the research and process flow naturally from the subject research the candidate is doing anyway? The MA and PhD are mile markers, aren't they? reflecting the candidate's growing ability to do research in his chosen field? Rather, that is, than being ends in themselves? Nosborne (whose JD and Bar exam were never anything but steps toward a glorious and fantastically rewarding career as a lawyer)
Gentlemen, Thank you so kindly for the valuable information. I've printed it out and will hold onto it.
Re: dissertation I have never done a dissertation or thesis either. My understanding is that a key ingredient in a Ph.D. dissertation should be a substantial and original contribution to the field of knowledge. Doing research is only a means to that end, not the end itself. As such, research may be required to show that it is original. Research may be required to prove that it is true. Research may be required to show it to be a substantial contribution to the field of knowledge. The dissertation should have a reasonable chance of being used and relied upon by future experts in the same field so, of course, it must be published. I have seen it argued that for these reasons a Ph.D. from an unaccredited institution cannot be considered valid. If for no other reason than the last. It's very unlikely that a dissertation from an unaccredited institution will ever be used or relied upon by future experts in the same field.
Still, few dissertations are really groundbreaking. An "original contribution to knowledge or understanding" in one's area of research can be, interpreted kindly, pretty small. There used to be a joke calling dissertations "an original rearrangement of knowledge." Dissertations are important, but do not need to represent the culmination of one's life work. Many that I have seen are virtually unreadable. In the haunting words of Rallph Hanna, Professor of English at UCR, and my dissertation director, "Craig, a dissertation don't have to be great; it just has to be." In other words, do your best, learn what you can, but don't let it kill you. It is the radical reduction, clarification, translation into English, and revision of your dissertation that eventually gets published as your first book. Blessings, Craig Who was very nearly killed by one of the beasts, a dissertation, that is.
Hi again! Bill: There is no reason on earth a dissertation from an unaccredited school can't be published--its just a manuscript. Craig
There seems to be a quibble over semantics going on here and I hope that I can help clarify. In my interpretation when Mr. Huffman says "a Ph.D. from an unaccredited institution cannot be considered valid" he does not imply that a dissertation from an unaccredited institution can never get published. Instead he is merely pointing out that if a person is to go through the arduous process of putting together a dissertation doing so at an unaccredited institution is an exercise of professional futility. On the other hand Mr. Hargis is correct when he says, " There is no reason on earth a dissertation from an unaccredited school can't be published." Anybody can get anything published these days, all you have to do is find the right venue or audience. I agree wholeheartedly with his contention that any manuscript, regardless of the quality of work or importance to the field of study, has the potential to be published somewhere. In the end this is a dispute about quality. Sure I could create my own university, an accreditation body to aprove of my university and start handing out unaccredited degrees. There is no reason on earth why I could not do this, in fact some people on this baord may run such instituions or hold degrees from them. What Mr. Huffman was trying to point out is that your degree is only as good as your school and consider yourself forewarned now, if you get a degree from a shady school expect to be treated as such by those in academia. Hope this helps, although I have my doubts! Jeff Whetzel BA Indiana University Bloomington MA Ball State University
The first dissertation that I ever read was basically a history of the "Restoration Movement" from early American Religous history. (This is the movement that eventually became the Disciples of Christ, Christian Churches, and Churches of Christ). I had to get it through inter-library loan from Baylor Univ Library. It really had nothing new to add to the discussion that wasn't found in other sources, but it did bring together those sources in a usable format. Instead of running down about 10 million other works, this dissertation writer did it for me . My point is, I suppose, that the dissertation (at least this one) was exactly what Craig said in the quote above. clint
Dissertation Strict Definition - NOT There was some discussion that seemed to indicate that the purpose of a dissertation was to prove/show research ability. This is an interpretation that I had not heard before. The purpose of my post was to describe my understanding, which is a dissertation need NOT be primarily research. A more generally accepted definition, I believe, is that a dissertation must make a significant contribution to the field of knowledge. I fully accept the fact that there is no strict definition for "significant contribution". It will be different from school to school, from department to department within a school and even advisor to advisor within a department. However, it still stands as Jeff so eloquently pointed out, "your degree is only as good as your school". This statement is true at the bachelor level but becomes more important at the master level and even more important at the Ph.D. level.
Re: Dissertation Strict Definition - NOT Most doctoral dissertations are passable, but not very significant. After all, they usually represent the authors' first attempts to conduct meaningful, original research. They are not, for example, considered as credible and reliable as articles in refereed journals. We often joke about how a dissertation is read only by the student's committee, IF EVEN THAT!
This thread is intensely interesting to me. The posts are addressing things that I have often wondered about but didn't know exactly whom to ask. So now I have a couple more questions: I understand that there is a database in the sky where all PhD dissertations are listed together with an abstract of each. Does this apply only to RA schools? Do scholars ever consult this database as part of their "review of the literature?" Are dissertations ever published in refereed journals? And finally, how many PhD holders actually engage in significant research AFTER receiving their PhDs? Do most scholars continue research or do they merely teach and consult? Nosborne
And I have another question too: Must the final dissertation be published prior to the awarding of the Ph.D?
In my experience most dissertations die of lack of exposure shortly after birth. Dissertations are almost never published in their original form--those that are published usually follow one of two paths: 1. radical revision, shortening, restructuring, and rewriting that results in a book "based" on the dissertation, or 2. individual chapters are revised, usually shortened, and published in a journal. In my experience few people actually "research" dissertations except to raid the bibliography--that is, let someone else's fingers do the walking. A quick review of the abstract will confirm if a dissertation covers the same ground you have in mind. One usually checks DAI to make sure nothing exactly matching his/her topic has appeared in the last five or ten years. Most of the dissertations I have seen are too reference loaded to be actually readable; the typical American dissertation has come to be constituted very often in a "literature review" that takes up half the body of the thing. Many are so jargon encrusted as to be unreadable. Others are so focused and specialized as to represent something virtually useless. Most people make way too much a "thing" out of the dissertation--it is almost like they need to make it monumental to justify their Ph.D. to themselves. Like Rich says, it is a union card. Just take it easy and you will finish--don't worry about a future publication or think of it as your final offering; it is the final hoop of a long string of hoops, and then you get a Ph.D. And then you are happy forever. Just kidding: my real advice is to just ENJOY it here and now--don't fret about its or your fate. Someone I admire said "Do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has trouble enough of its own." The main thing is to write a little every day. Of course mine suffered from none of the above ills
I think it is fair to say that Rich is describing the more practical/pragmatic dissertation. While I was trying to give the more formal description. They're both true depending on context. In this case, publishing can simply mean nothing more than listing the dissertation in the school's library. As of a couple years ago, all RA schools in the USA sent dissertation information to an independent company, UMI. UMI produces DAI (Dissertation Abstracts International). Most dissertations that are listed in the DAI can be ordered from UMI. In the past, UMI has listed "dissertations" from unaccredited schools. For example, I suspect that they have even listed a dissertation or two from the most dreadful Sussex College of Technology because a while back I remember finding a UMI school id for Sussex College of Technology. Here's a link to some more detail on UMI and dissertation publication that I put together for personal amusement purposes. http://follies.werewolves.org/PhDFraud/index4.html#umi
