Dan W. Butin is the founding dean of the school of education at Merrimack College. He is the editor and author of over fifty books, articles, and book chapters, including the books Teaching Social Foundations of Education and Service-Learning and Social Justice Education. Dr. Butin’s research focuses on issues of educator preparation and policy and community engagement. Dr. Butin has been the assistant dean of the school of education at Cambridge College and a faculty member at Gettysburg College. Prior to working in higher education, Dr. Butin taught middle school, in an adult GED program, and was the chief financial officer of Teacher For America. More about Dr. Butin’s teaching and scholarship can be found at http://danbutin.org/.

• List of FiguresPrefaceWho Should Read This Book and WhyKey Features and How to Use ThemAcknowledgmentsAbout the AuthorDedication1. A Guide for Practitioner ScholarsQuestioning the DoctorateSeeing the Doctoral Process Through Doctoral Students’ EyesThis Book as Guidelines and GuardrailsStrategies for Success2. A Road Map From Start to FinishThe Big Picture: An Outline of the ProcessThe Dissertation TimelineYour Own Timeline and BenchmarksEmbracing Technology: The Table of Contents and Reference ListStructuring Your Life as a Doctoral Student3. Focusing Your ResearchArticulating a Topic in “Academic Speak”Narrowing the TopicYour First Success at Focusing: Creating a Title and Research QuestionA Final Thought: Focusing Your Research at a Cocktail Party4. Structuring Your ResearchChoosing a Theoretical FrameworkDoing a Literature ReviewUnderstanding Research MethodologyChoosing a Research MethodEmpirical MethodologiesLinking Research Purpose to Research Method5. Conducting Your ResearchLinking Research Methods to Research ToolsInstitutional Review Board (IRB)Some Final Thoughts Before "ABD-Land"6. Putting It All Together: Completing Your DissertationThe Dissertation as a “Machine”Reverse Engineering Your DissertationWhat Are the Remaining Key Issues?7. Defending and Moving OnThe Dissertation DefensePublish Your FindingsApply Your Research: Impacting K-12 EducationTeach the Next Generation: Teaching in Higher EducationThe Beginning of Your Journey as a Practitioner ScholarKey Resources by TopicReferencesIndex

"The book is rich with ideas and strategies for thinking about every phase of the dissertation and for undertaking each phase once it has been carefully thought out."