A. Stephen Lenz & Richard S. Balkin 
A Counselor’s Guide to the Dissertation Process 
Where to Start and How to Finish

This engaging book not only offers step-by-step guidance on planning, writing, and defending a dissertation but also helps create a beginning-to-end process that is meaningful, rewarding, and exciting. Each chapter answers commonly asked questions, contains a checklist for each part of the dissertation, provides a summary of key points, and lists additional resources. Topics addressed include tips for staying motivated, time management, and self-care; selecting a dissertation committee and narrowing down the topic; writing a proposal; preparing the literature review; creating the problem statement, purpose statement, and research questions; understanding research methodology and ethics; collecting and analyzing data; presenting results; and best of all–publishing a dissertation.

*Requests for digital versions from the ACA can be found on www.wiley.com

*To request print copies, please visit the ACA website https://imis.counseling.org/store/

*Reproduction requests for material from books published by ACA should be directed to permissions@counseling.org

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface vii

Acknowledgments ix

About the Authors xi

Chapter 1 The Doctoral Dissertation 1

Chapter 2 Staying Well Throughout the Dissertation Process 17

Appendix A: Example of a Student Wellness Plan 27

Chapter 3 Selecting the Dissertation Committee and Narrowing Down the Topic 29

Chapter 4 Writing a Proposal 57

Appendix B: Example Quantitative Proposal 74

Appendix C: Example Qualitative Proposal 83

Chapter 5 The Literature Review 93

Appendix D: Example of a Literature Review Outline 107

Chapter 6 Creating the Problem Statement, Purpose Statement, and Research Questions 111

Chapter 7 Research Methodology and Ethics 123

Appendix E: Subject Informaed Consent 141

Appendix F: Subject Assent 144

Chapter 8 Collecting and Analyzing Data 145

Chapter 9 Presenting and Discussing the Results 157

Chapter 10 Preparing for the Defense 171

Chapter 11 Disseminating the Project to the Professional Community 183

Appendix G: Example Authorship Agreement 201

References 203

Index 209

Über den Autor

Brandé Flames, Ph D, NCC, LPC is a licensed professional counselor and clinical professor in the Counseling and Special Populations department at Lamar University. She is also the CEO and Founder of the nonprofit Serving and Learning Together (SALT) world Inc., which provides volunteer services to developing countries.

A. Stephen Lenz is the author of A Counselor’s Guide to the Dissertation Process: Where to Start and How to Finish, published by Wiley.

Richard S. Balkin, Ph.D., LPCC, NCC is a Professor and Doctoral Program Coordinator at the University of Louisville. Dr. Balkin is a Fellow of the American Counseling Association, the editor for the Journal of Counseling and Development, the flagship journal for the American Counseling Association, and past president for the Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling. Dr. Balkin has over 65 publications, which include textbooks, published tests and technical manuals.

Robert L. Smith is the author of A Counselor’s Guide to the Dissertation Process: Where to Start and How to Finish, published by Wiley.