“Provided helpful insight and structure into what to do, why, and how. I feel so relieved to finally have access to the info i needed”
Read on Amazon →Home › Shop › Finding the question and planning › The Dissertation & Thesis Workbook
For PhD, EdD, DBA, DNP and master's thesis writers
You understand research. Now get the thesis written.
The Dissertation & Thesis Workbook
Most graduate students know the concepts and still stall at the blank page. This workbook is built to be used, not read: fill-in templates, diagnostic checklists and defense preparation tools that turn what you know into pages and progress, from proposal to defense.
- Templates that turn each section of the thesis into concrete steps
- Checklists that catch the weaknesses committees reject
- A defense kit: 50 common questions and how to frame your answers
By Dr. Rafiq Muhammad, MD, PhD · 235 pages · From proposal to defense · Paperback $38.99 · ★★★★★ 28 reader reviews
What readers say
Reader reviews
★★★★★ 28 reader reviews from Amazon
“The book begins with defining the research problem and writing the proposal and goes step by step through to the final defense. … I found the literature review section especially helpful.”
Read on Amazon →“My favorite part of this book are the checklists that are in every chapter. They help you to take actionable steps to move the writing process along.”
Read on Amazon →“As someone who has completed the dissertation process, I felt that this workbook was well organized and provided support for candidates within the process.”
Read on Amazon →“He offers a comprehensive set of tools that, step by step, guide the reader toward achieving the methodological objectives of their research—from formulating the initial proposal to, ultimately, defending it.”
Read on Amazon →“… the book lets you quickly choose your own adventure depending on what stage you’ve begun.”
Read on Amazon →“I am in the proposal stage. … I am happy to have this as a guide and work through my research thoroughly and successfully.”
Read on Amazon →“Super helpful as a doctoral candidate. Great information and helpful tools.”
Read on Amazon →“I am just starting my dissertation journey and this has been a huge help.”
Read on Amazon →“The change from “what to do” to “how to do it” is its greatest contribution.”
Read on Amazon →“It offers a ton of tips and advice on how to approach the different sections and gives good and bad examples for you to reference.”
Read on Amazon →“This is a great resource for those in grad school.”
Read on Amazon →“Those fill-in templates finally made my proposal feel doable, not terrifying. The checklists caught mistakes I didn't know I was making, and the defense prep section saved me from total panic.”
Read on Amazon →“It strips away the academic mystique and gives you the actual scaffolding, templates, checklists, diagnostic tools, that your advisor probably assumed you already had.”
Read on Amazon →“I also appreciated that the workbook anticipates the kinds of questions committees often ask.”
Read on Amazon →“Every person working on a dissertation or thesis and every committee member should read this.”
Read on Amazon →“This also works as a basis template to write your own research papers.”
Read on Amazon →“It’s color coded with research questions and structures to follow and refer to as you write.”
Read on Amazon →“The workbook shows you how to compile your data, develop a proposal, design your research, and defend your proposal among other things.”
Read on Amazon →“This book provides handy templates that prompt the reader through each phase.”
Read on Amazon →“I especially liked having clear templates to follow instead of trying to figure everything out from scratch.”
Read on Amazon →“So many graphic organizers, I wanted to jump in and start filling out my own information immediately with how inviting this book is.”
Read on Amazon →“The chapters also shows common mistakes students make in their paper.”
Read on Amazon →“The timeline and the rough formula for each stage is worth buying the workbook, the templates, and the checklist are a bonus.”
Read on Amazon →“It works best for doctoral and master’s students in education, psychology, public health, nursing, social sciences, management, and other applied research fields where proposals and committee reviews matter.”
Read on Amazon →“This workbook went above and beyond the basics for sure.”
Read on Amazon →“I haven’t written a paper in a long time and this book helped me figure out how to properly write a thesis step by step.”
Read on Amazon →“The book is an actual manual to overcome obstacles concerning doctoral dissertations.”
Read on Amazon →Sound familiar?
The gap is not knowledge. It is execution.
“I've read the methods books. I still don't know what to write on Monday.”
“Every chapter feels like starting from a blank page again.”
“My committee keeps flagging problems I didn't see coming.”
“I'm terrified of the proposal defense because I don't know what they'll ask.”
Unlike a methods textbook, this workbook is designed to be used. Every tool bridges the gap between research knowledge and research execution, turning abstract concepts into steps you complete on the page.
How it works
Plan. Write. Defend.
One workbook for the whole arc of the thesis, in the order you will need it.
Plan the study
Research planning and timelines, then a problem statement and gap you can state with confidence.
Write each chapter
Literature review strategies, methodology choices and writing checklists, one template at a time.
Prepare to defend
Anticipate committee questions with response frameworks and citation-ready justifications.
What you will have
What the workbook covers
- Research planning and realistic timelines
- A problem statement and gap, built with a fill-in formula
- Literature review strategies and a review-type comparison matrix
- Quantitative and qualitative methodologies, made practical
- Data analysis techniques and software guides
- Academic writing and editing checklists
- Proposal and defense preparation, with 50 common questions
- Stress management and productivity habits for the long haul
Look inside
Every template comes with a worked example
Each tool states the problem it solves, gives you the formula, and shows a worked example before the blank. These are real pages. Tap to enlarge.
Is it for you?
Built for the whole thesis
It is for you if
- You are a PhD, EdD, DBA or DNP student, or writing a master's thesis
- You understand research concepts but struggle to turn them into writing and progress
- You coordinate research or support students through the proposal-to-publication pipeline
It is not
- A methods textbook. It is a working tool you fill in.
- A replacement for your supervisor or your programme's requirements
- A project planner. For the schedule, see The Dissertation Timeline & Project Planner Workbook.
Choose your format
Ways to get it
Paperback
- The same 235 pages in print
- Write in it by hand
- Shipped by Amazon
Not ready to buy? Get the free toolkit for finding the question and planning by email and start today. Get it free
Questions
Before you buy
I'm at the proposal stage. Is it too early?
No. It starts with research planning and the problem statement, and carries on through to the defense, so it is most useful started early.
Is it for quantitative or qualitative research?
Both. It covers quantitative and qualitative methodologies, and the literature, writing and defense tools apply to either.
How is it different from the Timeline & Project Planner Workbook?
This book builds the content of your thesis. The Timeline & Project Planner manages the project that delivers it. They are designed to be used together.
Does it help with the oral defense?
It includes a proposal defense preparation kit. For the doctoral viva or final defense, the Viva & Oral Defense Workbook goes much deeper, and the Viva & Oral Defense Template Kit has its templates as fillable PDFs.
Stop staring at blank pages
Start completing concrete tasks that move your research forward.
Choose your formatMore for this stage: everything for finding the question and planning · the free toolkits