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Apex Dissertations

Writing your thesis or dissertation can be a daunting task. Often advisors and mentors leave it up to the student to figure out complex writing issues related to the student’s thesis or dissertation topic. We're here to provide you concrete assistance with all phases of the writing process. If you're looking for dissertation help or thesis help, you've come to the right place.

We offer a range of dissertation services

We can assist you with proofreading, organizing your content, editing for clarity and style, research, methodology, statistics, and formatting—no matter what type of dissertation help you’re seeking. We are conversant with APA and MLA publications manuals, and many of our clients regard us as their best allies in the difficult process of finishing their dissertation or thesis and achieving their ultimate educational goals.

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Backed by over 20 years of experience, we bring to the job a commitment for excellence and a genuine interest in seeing our clients succeed. We have helped many dedicated students with the proposal, dissertation, and thesis writing process. Let us bring our P.E.N.S. to your table. That’s

  • Professional and personalized attention
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We invite you to take some time to learn about us and our services. We'd also like to learn about your writing goals or projects. It's easy to contact us.  Just send us an e-mail describing what you're working on or planning to work on, or give us a call at 503.995.7242. We look forward to hearing from you and tackling your project together.

Useful articles for research and dissertation writing

measurement instrument Sometimes proofreading and copyediting are not enough. Finding an editor that can assist you with problems related to research design and methodology is often more crucial than finding one that can catch typographical, grammatical, and punctuation errors.

Chapter 1 A description of the major elements of chapter 1 of a dissertation proposal. Chapter 1 of a dissertation proposal is a series of sections each of which contain specific types of information that together provide a clear picture of the research approach. This article describes the type of information according to the relevant section.

measurement instrument Measurement is a fundamental activity in quantitative research. Measurement is the means through which data is discovered. Consequently, there can be no analysis without measurement. Some of the important aspects of mesurement include definition of constructs, intrumentation and operationalization of instruments, levels of mesaurement,   and measurement error.

point-biserial correlation coefficientOften the type of data you have does not allow for standard correlation techniques.  Applying a point-biserial correlation procedure is an alternative to the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient. This article explains the differences in conceptual and practical terms.

writing the purpose statement What is the objective of your dissertation or thesis? A well written purpose statement  will answer this question for your dissertation advisor and committee members. In addition to other elements, this article explains how to formulate the heart of a purpose statement: a clear, concise sentence containing all the crucial components.

independent and dependent variables Understanding the differences between independent and dependent variables. A basic understanding of these two types of variables is a prerequesite for any graduate student planning on doing a quantitative-based dissertation or thesis. There are several excercises and examples to help the dissertation student master these crucial concepts.

tips for dissertation proofreadingWhile proofreading a dissertation or thesis proposal is much like proofeading any other document, applying a few tips that take into account potential differences (for example length and salient formatting issues) can help ensure your final proposal reads as error-free as possible. Of course, employing the usual strategies won't hurt your final document either.

dissertation writer's block, how frustratingDissertation writer's block can sometimes feel like a permanent obstacle in the writing process. The causes of dissertation writer's block may stem from on-the-page issues while others are a result of off-the-page problems. Deciphering the root causes will allow you to formulate an effective strategy for overcoming hiatuses in the dissertation writing process.

internal validity and correlationAddressing internal validity is often handled differently in experiment-based and correlation-based dissertations.  Make sure your dissertation or thesis contains an approriate discussion of internal validity.  This article shows you what particular issues to be aware of depending on the the type of quantitative method you're using.

 

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pen with which to write a dissertation 

Dissertation tips for graduate students and professionals

Research Design Tip

When planning a survey study, having access to a large number of participants is crucial. The sample population needs to be large enough to make statistical generalizations.  Usually this will mean that the researcher will need access to at least 100 participants. More often this number will be substantially higher.  A researcher who has limited access to participants--for example, employees of a single, small company--should consider early in the dissertation process how he or she will gain access to a high number of participants.  Alternatively, the researcher may consider conducting a qualitative study where the number of participants is not as important.

Writing Tip

Here are a couple of things to keep in mind in reference to tense. If you are at the thesis or dissertation proposal stage and you are doing empirical research, you should use future tense when referring to your own study and what you will be doing or attempting. Even if a particular writing passage does not involve any action on the student's part, it should be in the future tense. For example, a statement of purpose might begin, "The objective of this thesis will be to….” Conversely, after the data has been gathered and analyzed, the student should write the dissertation or thesis in past tense because this document will be a record of a study carried out.  In the example above, the student need only change the phrasing to, "The objective of this thesis was to....”

  Formatting Tip

So you found a formatting mistake and realize it occurs throughout your dissertation or thesis. If there is a specific formatting error that recurs in multiple places in the text, the quickest way to correct all instances of the error is to use the "find and replace" functions in Microsoft Word. By typing in the word or punctuation element associated with the error in the search function, you can find any and all instances of that error. MS Word will make the change for you. You can choose to replace all instances of the error or just the errors you select, but be careful when you choose "replace all" because application of "replace all" may turn a correct instance of the element or word into an error. Used appropriately, the find and replace function can be a big time-saver.

Off -the-Page Tip

Building rapport with your dissertation advisor or mentor is an important part of completing a dissertation. If you want your advisor to help facilitate the writing and research process, showing interest in what they say and engaging them in a friendly yet professional manner can go a long way to building rapport. If you treat your advisor as just a means to an end or even an obstacle, they may simply go through the motions, providing less than minimum attention to your dissertation or thesis.