Table of Contents

Preface to the Second Edition Part I: Getting Ready 1. The Need for a Watertight Thesis 2. Demystifying the Doctoral Process 3. What Does It Take to Complete a Doctorate? 4. Making Sure That Your Doctorate is Original 5. Structuring Your Doctoral Proposal Part II: Moving into the Doctorate 6. The Supervisory Relationship: Roles, Models and Mystification 7. Change and Problem-Solving in the Supervisory Relationship 8. Structuring in the Early Stages 9. Focusing on the Major Research Question 10. Creating Your Research Sub-Questions Part III: Moving through the Doctorate 11. Linking the Research Sub-Questions to the Thesis Chapters 12. Making the Early Chapters Watertight 13. Judging the Doctoral Quality of Your Work 14. Making the Middle Chapters Watertight 15. Making the Later Chapters Watertight Part IV: Moving out of the Doctorate 16. The Examiners’ Need for Structural Clarity 17. Preparing for the Summative Viva - and After 18. Structuring and Publishing Your First Articles References Index

Promotional Information

A clear and scholarly guide to making the thesis structurally sound, which will be of value to students, supervisors and examiners.

About the Author

Mike Bottery is Emeritus Professor of Education at the University of Hull, UK. Nigel Wright is Lecturer in Education at the University of Hull, UK. Mark A. Fabrizi is Associate Professor of English Education at Eastern Connecticut State University, USA.

Reviews

A matchless guide to undertaking a doctorate that charts the doctoral journey with the voice of experience and demystifies the arcane. This impressively accessible commentary constitutes an essential primer for any doctoral aspirant seeking to create a watertight thesis and keep the venture afloat on an even keel.
*Simon Clarke, Doctor of Education Course Coordinator, Graduate School of Education, The University of Western Australia, Australia*

I strongly suggest that doctoral students read Writing a Watertight Thesis. The wisdom and the experience of the authors helped me, a beginning researcher, to write a watertight thesis, leading me to a successful research and writing career.
*Chang Junyue, Professor and Vice President of Foreign Languages, Dalian University, China*

The authors provide valuable guidance on questions doctoral candidates might ask and the roles that mentors might play to demystify the thesis/dissertation process. Through examinations of concurrent and consecutive curricular models for graduate studies, student-mentor relationships, and qualifications frameworks across nations, this text would well support the reader’s research journey.
*David L. Stoloff, Ph.D., Professor, Educational Technology and the Social Foundations of Education, Eastern Connecticut State University, USA*

Producing a doctoral thesis which will satisfy examiners is a challenging task. This new edition continues with the idea of writing a ‘watertight’ thesis by examining the notion of originality to make this goal less daunting and indeed the book succeeds in making all the tacit processes associated with doctoral success clear and explicit. It will prove invaluable to both students and supervisors.
*Jeremy Wellington, Retired Professor in the School of Education, Sheffield University, UK*