Roberts draws from her experience teaching doctoral students in the organizational leadership program at the U. of La Verne to offer a guide for doctoral students in social sciences (although others may find it useful) that explains the process of writing and defending a dissertation, from choosing a topic and selecting a committee, to preparing an oral defense and publishing research. Other topics include creating a support group, emotional barriers, organization, and academic writing. She does not address design and methodology, data analysis techniques, or writing style and mechanics. This edition has been updated and has a new chapter on ethical considerations, more on digital data collection and using the internet in research, more on conducting the literature review, and a discussion of how to develop a theoretical or conceptual framework. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)