This text was published by Marcel Dekker, Publishers, in November, 2001. Click here for ordering information. 368 pp. hardback: ISBN: 0-8247-0605-6.

A Guide to Writing Empirical Papers, Theses, and Dissertations
by G. David Garson
North Carolina State University

Table of Contents
I. Selecting a Topic

A. Choosing a Subject
1. Brainstorming
2. Framing an Analytic Question
B. Forming an Outline
3. Typical Outlines
4.The Roadmap Concept

A. Tools
5.Search Resources
6. Bibliographic Software
B. Writing the Review
7. Meta-Analysis
8. Format of Your Review

A. Specifying Your Models
9. Thinking about Models
10. Operationalizing Variables
B. Defining the Methodology
11. Research Designs
12. Selecting Statistical Procedures

A. Telling a Story
13. Writing Fundamentals
14. Fallacies, Reliability, Validity, Significance, & Association
15. Data Visualization
B. Data-Gathering
16. Research Ethics
17. Strategies
18. Resources

A. The Conclusion
19. Drawing Inferences and Making Generalizations
20. Pointing Ahead
B. The Dissertation Process
21. The Thesis or Dissertation Committee
22. The Thesis or Dissertation Defense

A. The Humanities and the Natural Sciences
23. Quantitative Research Writing in the Humanities
24. Quantitative Research Writing in the Natural Sciences
B. Funding
25. Dissertation Grant Programs