Doctoral Applied Research Project vs Dissertation

I think (at least in my opinion), the problem is that when people search for info on topics like this (on google), they may be directed to this website. While I could also tell it looked like it was copy and pasted, others might not and confuse it as an original work. Also, if you are considering a master's degree, trust me it doesn't hurt to start early in learning how to cite sources. At the master's level, you will have a much larger number of sources than anything at the undergrad level (at least in my experience).

Oh and you will reconsider your opinion on pursuing a doctorate once you have obtained the first master's degree. Trust me. :tongue2:

 

Cut & Paste plagiarism on a discussion board? Imagine what the thesis or dissertation will look like. :smile:

 

I know how to cite and reference sources. Just because I copied and pasted something on an online forum does not mean I do not know how to properly do my school work.

And if Im honest, the ideas of the dissertation AND project both scare the crap out of me. lol I dont see where I would need a doctorate for my chosen career. It would be more of a vanity thing, and Im just not convinced the time, effort, time, hard work, time, cost, time, ROI, and time would be worth it.

 

I know exactly what the requirements are. Having read at least 50 dissertations in my "project" research and comparing them to my final product and the final product from other applied "projects" I think this whole discussion is an exercise in semantics. The work load is not any different, just the focus in how you go about in doing it.

 

You left out the dissertation proposal, oral and written qualifying exams, with pain and suffering in between. Other than that, you pretty much got it.

 

All of which were also included in my applied Doctorate program. Also, all of my committee members held PhDs and were very mindful of the perceptions created by the applied dissertation process and made sure that my experience mirrored the PhD process as much as possible.

At the end of the day - does it really matter if your efforts are called a project or dissertation when you are spending the same two-plus years to conduct the research, make multiple revisions, and suffering the pain to produce a 200+ page research document?

I would suggest that those people who operate in the circles that place critical importance on those distinctions are not the type of people who typically frequent DegreeInfo.

 

Thank you for your insights! I have certainly gained a greater appreciation for those that have gone through the "doctoral process" regardless of the discipline!

 

I would argue that statistic is not always involved in a doctoral research. The research methodology may vary significantly depending on the subject; it can be classified under the broad umbrella of quantitative and qualitative research. It is important to define the a) research methodology, b) data collection techniques, c) data analysis, and most importantly justify all the aforementioned steps.

You should be able to answer at the following questions:

What?
Why?
How?
So what?