Calabrese's book should be required reading in graduate programs. Clearly written and intelligently organized, it presents a comprehensive roadmap to a successful dissertation. Without doubt, it will sharpen understanding, guide the entire process, and improve the final product. But this is not just a book for graduate students. Professors will find it of genuine value for advising as well as teaching courses that prepare graduate students for dissertation research.

Clement Alexander Seldin, professor of education, University of Massachusetts

In The Elements of an Effective Dissertation, Dr. Raymond Calabrese provides a user-friendly and highly polished product to assist graduate students in facing the challenges of writing the dissertation.…This book should be on the reading list for doctoral students as they enter terminal degree programs and could easily serve as a primary text for courses and seminars that address the development of the prospectus and the dissertation.

Sally J. Zepeda, PhD, College of Education, University of Georgia

Calabrese describes the basic units of the five-chapter economy that is a thesis or dissertation. He describes how to develop and write the introduction and rationale (including that pesky section on delimitations), the review of literature, methods such as research design and pilot studies, results, interpretation and recommendations.

Reference and Research Book News

I really like the book. It gives good recommendations and then examples to illustrate. The examples were excellent, and I am certain they will be very helpful to researchers. Every facet of the dissertation process is very well covered and documented. I found the book very 'user friendly'. I wish I would have had it when I did my dissertation, but more importantly it would have been so helpful to me at KU and my students as well.

Dr. Max Heim, former dean of the College of Education, Mississippi State University