PhDone demystifies what a successful dissertation entails, from synthesizing literature and conducting research to mastering the editing process and acing your defense.
Includes both illustrative anecdotes and cautionary tales from real doctoral candidates—learn from the hard-earned wisdom of those who have succeeded (and failed) in the dissertation writing process.
Elevate your career and life with the degree you’ve been working toward, all while maintaining your work-life balance, relationships, sanity, and passion for your field of research.
Based on decades of experience working with thousands of doctoral candidates at Dissertation Editor, Dr. Allen Roda and Dr. Lauren Saunders deliver a comprehensive yet accessible guide filled with practical advice, illuminating stories, and hard-earned wisdom that will empower you to complete your dissertation and earn your degree.
As CEO of Dissertation Editor and co-founder of its UK counterpart Thesis Editor, Dr. Allen Roda has engaged with thousands of doctoral students in every field of higher education. He and his team of PhD editors and statisticians have established themselves as global leaders in higher education support services by working with over 3,500 graduates from more than 500 different universities.
Dr. Roda earned a BA in Anthropology, magna cum laude, from Wake Forest University, a Master’s in Anthropology from Columbia University, and a PhD in Ethnomusicology from NYU, where he was awarded Fulbright and AIIS research fellowships and was selected for the NYU Global Research Initiative in London. Afterward, he held the prestigious Jane and Morgan Whitney Curatorial Fellowship at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and was a professor at The New School and NYU. His publications have won several awards including the Frances Densmore and Klaus Wachsmann prizes from the American Musical Instrument Society and Society for Ethnomusicology. He currently lives in North Carolina, with his wife and two sons.
Dr. Lauren Saunders is the Vice President of Editing and Research for Dissertation Editor, where she previously served as an editor and managing editor. She earned a BA in Dance and a BFA in Creative Writing, summa cum laude, from Chapman University, an M.Phil. in Irish Literature from Trinity College, Dublin, awarded with distinction, and a PhD in Literary Studies from the University of Denver, where she received the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Divisional Dissertation Fellowship.
In addition to a decade of experience in university writing centers, she designed and taught courses in the University of Denver writing program and English department. She lives in Colorado with her husband and daughter.
Kevin Anderson is the founder of Dissertation Editor and co-founder of its UK counterpart, Thesis Editor. He is also the CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Kevin Anderson & Associates, a book-writing, ghostwriting, editorial services, and publishing navigation firm with offices in NYC, Nashville, LA, and London, where he works with numerous bestselling and award-winning authors, literary agents, major publishers, and a variety of public figures, professionals, and aspiring authors. He’s edited over 50+ national bestsellers and is a contributing author to Publishers Weekly’s Book Publishing Almanac 2022: A Master Class in the Art of Bringing Books to Readers.
Kevin grew up on a small farm in a remote area of Northern Alberta, Canada. He completed his BA in history and philosophy magna cum laude at the University of Lethbridge, and his Master’s degree at Harvard University in 2007, with a concentration in literary theory and criticism.
Kevin currently lives in the Boston area and spends his free time enjoying the outdoors, performing music, and traveling abroad with his wife and four children.
As one who has directed a Writing Center for years, I say with confidence that this book offers a great deal of essential advice. Presenting the whole graduate school experience as preparation for the project of the dissertation, PhDone will help many begin the process when they should, long before the writing itself is underway. Wise, savvy and extensive—a very valuable resource.
I wish I’d had this when I was working on my own dissertation! An invaluable guide to the ins and outs and do’s and don’ts of finishing your PhD thesis and getting your degree. I’m definitely going to share it with my own students.
Writing a dissertation is daunting, even for the most accomplished students. PhDone includes excellent advice, and its many examples prove that no obstacle a student might confront is unique: from the difficulty of delineating a topic to political problems with a committee. PhDone is a charming and useful guide for anyone considering or working on a PhD.
Everyone who has ever worked on a doctoral degree knows the ups, downs, concerns, and anxieties of completing the dissertation. Roda, Saunders, and Anderson offer an illuminating and fundamentally helpful guide toward PhD completion. Most every grad student I’ve ever known could have used this!
PhDone is a thorough but approachable introduction to what you need to expect from the process of completing a dissertation. As I tell my students, you need to minimize unexpected hurdles. This book can help.
Dr. Roda has been supporting doctoral students on their journeys for many years, and I am delighted to see this wisdom now encapsulated in a book to be more widely accessible.
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