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How to Write a Master's Thesis
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How to Write a Master's Thesis

Third Edition


October 2019 | 320 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
“This is the best textbook about writing an M.A. thesis available in the market.”  
–Hsin-I Liu, University of the Incarnate Word  
  
The Third Edition of How to Write a Master's Thesis is a comprehensive manual on how to plan and write a five-chapter master’s thesis, and a great resource for graduate students looking for concrete, applied guidance on how to successfully complete their master's degrees. While research methods and statistics courses may teach students the basic information on how to conduct research, putting it all together into a single project and document can be a challenge. Author Yvonne Bui demystifies this process by integrating the language learned in prerequisite methods and statistics courses into a step-by-step guide for developing a student's own thesis or project.
 
List of Students’ Master’s Theses
 
Preface
 
About the Author
 
Chapter 1. Overview of the Master’s Degree and Thesis
The Master’s Degree

 
What Is a Master’s Thesis?

 
Selecting a Thesis Chairperson and Committee

 
How to Read and Use This Book

 
Components of a Master’s Thesis

 
Quantitative, Qualitative, or Mixed Methods Research?

 
Style Form

 
Summary

 
Resources

 
 
Chapter 2. Selecting a Research Topic
Important Factors to Consider When Selecting a Topic

 
How to Narrow and Refocus Your Topic

 
Developing Answerable Research Questions

 
Creating a Realistic Timeline

 
Time Management

 
Summary

 
Resources

 
 
Chapter 3. Using the Literature to Research Your Problem
Benefits of Conducting a Literature Review

 
Meeting With a Reference Librarian

 
Sources of Data: Primary Versus Secondary

 
Selecting Keywords

 
Conducting Searches in Electronic Databases

 
Conducting Searches on the Internet

 
Different Types of Articles

 
Staying Organized

 
Summary

 
Resources

 
 
Chapter 4. Conducting Ethical Research
Legal Regulations and Ethical Standards

 
Institutional Review Board (IRB)

 
Ethical Behavior

 
Summary

 
Resources

 
 
Chapter 5. How to Write Chapter One, Introduction
Writing Style

 
Chapter One Sections

 
Summary

 
Resources

 
 
Chapter 6. How to Write Chapter Two, Literature Review
Preparation and Organization

 
Chapter Two Sections

 
Summary

 
Resources

 
 
Chapter 7. How to Write Chapter Three, Methods
Research Designs and Research Methods

 
Preparation and Organization

 
Chapter Three Sections

 
Summary

 
Resources

 
 
Chapter 8. How to Write Chapter Four, Results and Findings
Preparation and Organization

 
Chapter Four Sections

 
Quantitative Data

 
Qualitative Data

 
Mixed Methods Data

 
Summary

 
Resources

 
 
Chapter 9. How to Write Chapter Five, Discussion
Preparation and Organization

 
Chapter Five Sections

 
Summary

 
Resources

 
 
Chapter 10. Wrapping It All Up
Preparation and Organization

 
APA Style

 
Next Steps: Presenting at Conferences and Getting Published

 
Summary

 
Resources

 
 
Appendices
 
Glossary
 
References
 
Author Index
 
Subject Index

“Yvonne Bui’s How to Write a Master’s Thesis should be mandatory for all thesis track master’s students.  It steers students away from the shortcuts students may be tempted to use that would be costly in the long run. The step by step intentional approach is what I like best about this book.”

Joel M. Cox
Liberty University

“This is the best textbook about writing an M.A. thesis available in the market.” 

Hsin-I Liu
University of the Incarnate Word

“This is the type of textbook that students keep and refer to after the class.”

Elizabeth Tolman
South Dakota State University

Excellent book. Thorough, yet concise, information for students writing their Master's Thesis who may not have had a strong background in research.

Dr Betty Hubschman
Education, Carolina University
October 8, 2023

Clear, Concise, easy for students to access and understand. Contains all the elements for a successful thesis.

Dr Lisa Keith
Education Division, Fresno Pacific University
September 28, 2021

I loved the ease of this book. It was clear without extra nonsense that would just confuse the students.

Dr Tif Mulally
Education, Misericordia University
October 8, 2019

Clear, concise, easily accessible. Students find it of great value.

Dr Lisa Keith
Education Division, Fresno Pacific University
October 12, 2020