The #2 Wall Street Journal bestseller!

Everything you need to finally finish your doctorate

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.
 
Breaking down the doctoral journey step-by-step, offering invaluable tips and resources along the way, PhDone is an essential tool for any doctoral candidate. Dr. Roda and Dr. Saunders demystify what a successful dissertation entails, detailing how to formulate your abstract, write your introduction, research your topic, and build a literature review. In PhDone, you’ll also learn how to:

  Choose and construct your methodology (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods) Develop research questions, conduct research, and obtain IRB approval Properly analyze results and formulate conclusions Master the process of revising, editing, and formatting Nail your defense and earn final approval

In addition to outlining the technical components of a dissertation, PhDone provides recommendations for maintaining a schedule, establishing a productive workspace, and cultivating a work-life balance—integral to a successful PhD journey. Dr. Roda and Dr. Saunders share anecdotes and guidance on the many hurdles doctoral candidates face beyond writing the  dissertation itself, including how to navigate dissertation committees, the potentially challenging advisor-advisee relationship, and more.

Wherever you are in your doctoral journey, Dr. Roda and Dr. Saunders offer you the tools you need to conquer academia’s biggest challenge and get PhDone.
 

“PhDone is a friendly and thorough guide to living productively through the dissertation-writing process.  Roda, Saunders, and Anderson have cracked the sometimes mysterious pathways from start to finish of choosing topics, advisors, committees and what one can reasonably expect. That writing a dissertation is ‘a job,’ as they advise, is surely the key to completing and living through one of the most significant achievements one can imagine.”
—Fred Myers, Silver Professor of Anthropology, New York University
 
“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.”
—Dr. Brian Glaser, associate professor and former writing center director, Chapman University
 
“PhDone offers clear, step-by-step advice for dissertation writers, with real-world anecdotes as well as details that are decidedly up to date, explaining what you need to know about academia now. The writing process isn't easy for anyone, but having a thoughtful guide like this can remove some of the mystery and stress.”
—Dr. Benjamin Tausig, associate professor of critical music studies, Stonybrook University
 
"This book is perfect for anyone considering grad school. It's laid out very practically and goes through all of the steps and stages of the process. Writing a dissertation is a daunting task, and this is the perfect book to help students know what to expect and how to navigate that process."
—Kristin Bledsoe, dean, School of Leadership and Interdisciplinary Studies at Trevecca
 
"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."
—Dr. Michael Beckerman, Carroll and Milton Petrie Professor of Music, New York University
 
“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.”
—Dr. Richard Ruppel, professor of English and peace studies, director, general education program, Chapman University
 
“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!
—Dr. David Gilbert, assistant professor of history, Mars Hill College